I Wager
by Emerald-Leaves
Summary: In which the Roman Empire and Germania make a bet and Ludwig is the one who suffers because of it...Crack. Germancest,one sided GermanyxItaly, basically a little of LudwigxEveryone. Rated: M for a reason.
1. Prologue: The Bet

**Prologue: The Bet**

Normally when one thinks of Heaven, they imagine it to be a calm, peaceful sort of place, one where nothing bad happened, a place where everything was perfect all the time…but that was different if you had two former nations that rivaled each other taking up space there as well. Times were never dull, whether on earth or in Heaven with the Roman Empire and Germania. Even in Heaven the two bickered, Rome was still his happy, overbearing self, while Germania was as quiet as ever, brooded silently as his companion chattered away aimlessly.

One particular day, however, the Roman Empire felt particularly restless as he sat near his friend. "I wish I could go and visit my grandsons," he sighed wistfully. "They are really such good boys."

Germania snorted, but said nothing. He had never been able to understand Rome's desire to keep returning to the land of the living…nor did he understand why God kept letting him go! "Both your grandsons are weak and selfish."

Rome sat up at this, glaring at his companion. "They may not like to fight, but they are not selfish! They are wonderful, precious gifts!"

"Worthless gifts," Germania scowled, crossing his arms. "If it were not for _my_ grandson, both of yours would be dead by now."

It was Rome's turn to scowl now. He wanted so badly to inform the Germanic nation that his grandson and adoptive grandson were nothing to look at when he remembered his brief encounter with Germania's blood grandson, Germany. The boy had been every bit the fighter his grandfather had been and then some, and even the other boy, the one that had been known as Prussia, was also quite the fighter, known for his wicked sense of humor. Rome wanted to inform Germania that his grandsons had lost both the "World Wars" when he could only snap his mouth shut when he recalled that it was because of his own grandchildren that the others had lost.

"W-well, my grandchildren are beautiful and artistic and can cook!" Rome stuck his tongue out childishly. "And they are very great lovers. Not like your unfeeling brood."

Germania raised an eyebrow to this, as though asking if he was supposed to be insulted. "They are strong and have survived through great trials and defeats… unlike your soft grandchildren."

"If your children could learn to love like mine have, I think they would be much better off," Rome said, his mind suddenly turning from defending his grandsons' masculinity. "My grandsons could probably help yours with that…Ha! I bet that had one of us a granddaughter, one of the other's grandsons would fall in love with her."

The blonde scowled. "Don't be ridiculous," Germania growled. "No self-respecting German would fall in love with an Italian…or at least not an Italian nation."

"I bet you that if either my Feliciano- God bless him!- or your Ludwig had been a woman, the other would have fallen deeply in love with the other by now. They are both so close, no?"

Germania was not a man that wore his heart on his sleeve and he did not show much of anything most of the time. He hardly ever smiled and rarely complimented. But that being as it was, deep down, Germania was proud of his grandson, even the adopted Prussian grandson of his. Germany was his shining star, the one that showed the world all of the greatest qualities of the German peoples. And the thought of his grandson throwing away all of his commonsense to run off with an Italian bink really upset him.

"Ludwig would _never _run off with one of your relations," the blonde growled. "He loves order and logic too much to let his mind be melted with Italian nonsense."

"Oh, you think so?" Rome asked, his eyes twinkling.

"I know so," Germania stated firmly.

"Would you care to make a wager?"

"What?" the blonde turned sharply towards the other, his scowl deepening.

"Care to make a wager?" the brunette's smile turned almost sinister.

"What the hell are you talking about?" the other snapped. "What would we be wagering on?"

"That Ludwig and Feliciano would fall in love, of course!" the empire exclaimed brightly. "I will show you, Mr. Grumpy Storm Cloud, that an Italian is a true lover, and can make _anyone_, even a _German_, fall in love!"

Germania stared at his companion for a long moment in concentration, as though trying to figure out if the other was serious or not. When the blonde realized that the other was indeed serious, Germania nearly started screaming. He was not usually the yelling type; however, Rome always seemed to bring that side of him out. "You," the German began, the Italian on the edge of his seat, so to speak, "are an idiot. My grandson is not _ever _going to fall in love with yours, so just stop right now."

Rome pouted while he turned away from his friend. "It was just a thought," he mumbled.

The German sighed before turning away. "I would say you'd be the death of me, but we're already dead," he said before turned and walking away, mumbling something about needing to find better company. But Rome was not all that discouraged by his companion's dour mood. He was used to it after all! No, the Roman Empire was not at all dissuaded.

With a mischievous gleam twinkling madly in his eye, he went to go ask God a favor…

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Behold, my insanity! *facepalm* Dear Lord, this is going to be something twisted and ridiculous, but I can't. Stop. Thinking about it! This is going to get crazy and wild, I'm sure, so please bear with me on this. It's just a slight twist to an already used idea by others, only I feel the need to write my own of this…Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks everyone! :)


	2. Chapter 1: Waking Up on the Wrong Side

**Chapter One: Waking Up on the Wrong Side of the Bed**

Ludwig Beilschmidt was a nation that liked order, routine. Every aspect of his life he liked to plan for. But as a logical man, he knew he could not perfectly plan out ever moment of his life— even though he would have loved to do it—but he knew that no matter how much you planed, there were just some things in life that would pop up to disrupt even the most carefully planned routine. No, Ludwig would consider himself a practical man, one that knew his limits and one who knew what he was doing in life. There were not many people that could boast of knowing themselves well better than Germany. He knew what he was, want he wanted to be, what he had to do, and saw the world from a practical, logical point of view. All in all, he was a man that was not easily surprised.

So, that morning when Ludwig woke up at six a.m. like he did every morning, he woke lying in bed for a moment after turning off his alarm clock, waking up and running through his list of things to do for the day. But while he was running through his mental list of activities he needed to do, he felt a little…odd. No, he did not feel ill, nor did he feel stiff or sore, but he did feel...different.

But he could not be concerned with that. He had to get up and get ready for his early morning run before coming back to shower, let the dogs out for a bit, make some breakfast, make up a list of things he wanted Gilbert to do for the day— although he knew that anything he told his brother to do probably would be there waiting for _him _to do after work seeing as Gilbert was "too awesome to be bothered with such unworthy tasks" or some such nonsense— before he gathered his briefcase and went to the office. All in all it would be an eventful day. He knew he had several meetings he had to attend, a presentation to give, not to mention all of the paperwork he had to do! It would be busy, but with his carefully crafted schedule, Germany knew he would be fine as long as he stuck to his agenda as closely as possible.

Stepping out of bed, Ludwig was hit with the strangeness he had had when first waking. He felt somehow lighter. Looking about his room, eyes still a little bleary with sleep, he was suddenly struck with the realization that everything seemed…bigger. He bed seemed higher up than normal, as did his dresser. Shocked, the nation also realized that his clothes were also baggier. Why the hell were his clothes larger? Was Gilbert playing some sort of prank?

Scowling, the German was about to go yell at his brother for messing up his room—while silently cursing himself for not even waking up when the other had carried out this prank—when he looked down at his legs. They were smaller, less muscular, and his feet were also much smaller than before, and his legs did not have hair on them strangely enough. And when he took a few steps he realized that something _very _important was missing down below, but he seemed to have gained something else that bounced when he walked up above, resting on his chest.

Shocked, horrified, Ludwig looked at his arms and hands. They were no longer muscular either, but slim and more elegant. His hands were indeed much smaller than normal and his arms less hairy than before. Still stunned, the dismayed nation stumbled over to his mirror, still lamenting over the oddness of his own body now. When he looked into his mirror, Ludwig's jaw dropped.

Body shaking, absolutely appalled, Ludwig did something very out of his character. He screamed.

**OoOoOoO**

Gilbert had been sleeping quite soundly, dreaming about an absolutely _awesome _theme park that was a million times better than America's Disney World, one that was called Gilbert's World, where every game, ride, anything, was done with beer, all the water rides had beer in them, and everyone was given a mug when they first entered in case they wanted a drink of some of Germany's finest beers, when this beautiful, beautiful dream ended abruptly by a loud, ear shattering, scream. The albino shot up in bed, with a yell of his own, looking around, trying to find his sword or pistol. When he was more awake, Gilbert realized that he was not under attack, and that the scream—which was still being screamed, mind you—was coming from his brother's room upstairs.

Jumping out of his bed with awesome speed and agility, Prussia failed to compensate for the covers that were still tangled around his legs, and ended up falling flat on his face on the floor. With an _umph _Gilbert only stayed down long enough to mentally smack himself for not ripping his covers off more thoroughly, before he jumped up and again and ran up the stairs of his basement room, and running through the house to the upstairs.

"Don't worry, West, I'm coming!" he called out epically, heart bounding, blood flowing. He was in full battle mode now.

Heroically, Gilbert burst through his brother's door, ready for a fight. "West? What's wrong? What's happen…ing," he trailed off, completely stupefied.

The last thing Prussia had expected when entering his brother's room after hearing a scream was the sight before him. Sure, he had imagined things from zombies gnawing on his brother's head to Hungary having finally snapped and out on the warpath against all men, but he had not, in a million years, ever expected to see a young woman standing by his brother's mirror, dressed his Ludwig's boxers and tank top.

Red eyes widened as they looked into terrified blue. The girl seemed very distressed, tears streaming down her blushing cheeks, and she was trembling. Flushing, not knowing what to do—comforting was not his strong suite—the albino was quite at a loss as to what he was supposed to do; especially since this was all happening in his brother's room! Gilbert wasn't sure if he should be more confused or proud of the fact that his brother had a cute girl in his bedroom.

"Uh, m-morning, Miss," Gilbert looked down at the floor, lest he find himself staring at his brother's girl's chest. She was a pretty thing, and the last thing he wanted was to get excited while he was wearing only his red boxers. How humiliating would that be! Would West beat him up over it…? "Do-do you know where West is? I, uh…think we need to have a talk…"

"Gilbert!" the girl cried out in frustrated anger, causing the albino to look up sharply. Only nations knew other nation's names. "It's me! It's Ludwig!" the girl cried.

The former kingdom stood absolutely still for a moment, as though if he moved, everything would shift and change into something else again. The only thing Gilbert was comparable to at that moment was some sort of albino fish, as he opened and closed his mouth several times before finally just deciding that he honestly did not know what to say—the first time in his life that this event had ever happened, mind you—and so he opted to just stand there staring at his brother…sister…Ludwig?...at _Germany_. And since he decided not to speak, angry, frustrated eyes burned into his skull, as though they were capable of peeling away skin.

The two Germans just stood there, one gawking, the other glaring, before the blonde had had enough. "Gilbert, say something!" a very Ludwig-like voice demanded.

Snapping out of his stupor, the albino frowned deeply, looking serious for the first time in years. "Hell, West, what do you want me to say?" he demanded right back. "What the hell did you do last night? Piss off a plastic surgeon?"

"This isn't plastic surgery, _arschloch_! I've completely _changed_ into a woman!" Ludwig's pretty new face crumbled into utter despair, and it was actually hard for Gilbert to refrain from rushing over to the other German and wrapping her into a hug. "What am I going to do, Gilbert? How did this happen? _Why _did this have to happen to me?"

Big brother instincts began kicking in for the former nation and it suddenly didn't matter if his sibling was a girl or a boy because _West _needed some help, and the former state of Prussia was awesome enough to try and figure this out for his brother…sister…whatever. "Hey, come on, West," he said gently, causing Germany to stare at the other a bit confused and shocked. Prussia ignored it in favor of putting an arm around the other in a half hug, squeezing lightly.

However, all gentleness and comforting manner slipped away from the albino the moment a new realization hit him. "AWESOME!" he cried out in absolute delight. "I'm taller than you now, West! Keseseseseseseseses!" To which, Germany responded by punching her brother in the stomach as hard as she could, eye twitching in fury.

The older German doubled over, a bit surprised that his brother, in a woman's body, was still capable of such strength. "Bastard," the girl growled, tears still lingering in her eyes. "I should have known you'd be no help."

"Hey, give me a break, West!" Gilbert exclaimed once some air found its way back in his lungs. "This is just as surprising to me as it is to you!"

"I doubt that," the blonde crossed her arms, causing Gilbert's attention to shift from her face, down to her chest. He hadn't noticed, but Ludwig had boobs— _nice _boobs! And when she crossed her arms like that over her chest in that tank top, it really showed some cleavage. He began to wonder just how exactly his brother looked now that he was a she. Judging just from the night clothes, Ludwig had to be more curvy and she did look much softer and more feminine than Gilbert would have thought. Maybe—

His thought was never allowed to continue as once again, Ludwig punched him in the stomach with a growl. Again, he doubled over, before looking up at his new sister's furious face with a look of anger of his own. "What the hell was that for?" the albino wheezed, becoming worried that Ludwig might have cracked a rib that time.

"My face is up _here_, _arschloch_," the blonde muttered, her face bright red.

Ludwig had always been fun to pick on when he blushed, as it took so little to embarrass him, but seeing Ludwig blushing as a _woman _instantly peeked Gilbert's interest. Germany's more angular and narrow face had become a little fuller, more round, softening the once harsh features drastically. His brother looked _nothing _like a man now, and even while Gilbert still had his own big brother instincts, he also could not deny his very prominent male instincts that were growing more intense the longer he looked at West, and while he immediately slapped himself mentally after the thought, Prussia could not deny that he found Ludwig attractive, especially when she blushed like that! Secretly he vowed to make it happen more often.

"_Es tut mir leid_," Gilbert apologized while straightening up. "It's just… you know, West!" the albino rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I can't help but stare at my brother who's turned into some sort of woman…with boobs! Ludwig, I completely forgot until just a minute ago that since you're a girl now, you have boobs."

"Shut up!" the blonde exploded, eyes looking wild with anger and panic. "I can't believe this is happening!" she began pulling at her still short hair. "What am I going to do, Gilbert? Shit! I have several meetings today and a presentation to give! I-I can't go into the office looking like this!" she spread her arms out as though to testify that in this new body she was truly a horrific sight. Again, while he would slap himself later for the thought, Gilbert couldn't help but wholeheartedly disagree.

Straightening up, not liking seeing his sister…brother…dammit! _West _in such distressed, Gilbert looked down— he couldn't help the glee he felt, however, in the fact that he was once again taller than Germany—at the girl pityingly. "Well, what do you want me to do about it?" he crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you want me to call in and cancel them for you?"

"NO!" Germany cried, eyes much bigger and rounder than they had been when she had been a man. "I can't cancel these meetings! Do you know how long these have been planned? Not to mention how utterly rude it would be to make everyone wait around until it's announced that I'm not coming. No, the meetings and presentation have to continue as scheduled!"

"Well then what the hell do you want me to do about it?" Gilbert asked again with a growl. "I seriously doubt anyone would stick around or believe you if you waltzed in there and told them you woke up this morning a different gender."

The blonde began pacing back and forth, arms behind her back. It was a nervous habit Ludwig had had for many years, even when he had been the Holy Roman Empire, though Ludwig still did not remember being that boy. But as he watched his distressed West, Gilbert could not help but observe the girl's every movements. As a man, Ludwig had always looked so powerful, so commanding and so intelligent, even when he occasionally freaked out about something. Seeing West like this as a woman, pacing back and forth, with the same quick turns she'd had as a man, Gilbert couldn't help the grin that slowly slipped onto his lips. West looked so serious, looked like she was concentrating so hard, but instead of looking fierce like Germany would have as a man, it came across as looking cutely determined. And the way the blonde's new body moved, it was much less ridged and sharp. Getting lost in the movements of the girl, Gilbert let his mind be pleasantly entertained while his new sister was trying to think of a plan.

"Gilbert!" Ludwig suddenly exclaimed.

His daydream shattered immediately, Gilbert snapped his eyes up to his sister's face again. "I wasn't staring!" he exclaimed.

The girl gave him a strange look before shaking her head. "Whatever. Never mind. But, Gilbert! You can go to the meetings and give my presentation today!"

The way those blue eyes lit up with hope seemed to light up the whole figure of West, and Gilbert was surprisingly having a hard time of telling his younger sibling, "No." _Damn that pretty face! _He swore to himself. "Listen, West, you might not have remembered this, but _you're _Germany, the majority of it. _I'm _just your eastern section, the once communist side," bitterness leaked into his voice unintentionally. "Since I'm not the majority of the country and you are, _you're _the one everybody looks to for the paperwork, the presentations, and whatnot. I haven't been responsible for anything like that for over twenty years now. And even when I was part of the Soviet bloc, that bastard Russia didn't let me do a lot of my country's papers because he was afraid that I'd rebel and join back up with you. So in case you've forgotten, West, I don't _do _stuff like that anymore."

The blonde across from him scowled, again causing Gilbert to think that his brother-sister was absolutely adorable. "You _used _to do this sort of thing all the time," she countered. "You might be a little out of practice, but you're certainly capable of going and taking a few notes and just reading off my presentation slides. Come on, Gilbert," Ludwig's expression changed into pleading, catching the albino off guard. "You are Germany just as much as I am. Can't you do this? For our people? For me?"

For some unknown reason, Gilbert found his face growing hot. That face Germany had pulled out of nowhere reminded the Prussian strongly of when Ludwig had been a little boy, when Gilbert had been hopelessly wrapped around West's finger. Dammit! It was too cute and innocent and pleading. It was the only thing that could undo the awesome fortitude of Prussia.

With a dramatic sigh, the albino's shoulders slumped down. "Fine. But you gotta walk me through the presentation right now so I at least know what the hell I'm supposed to say."

"Thank you!" Germany exclaimed with relieved excitement. "Go down to the kitchen, I'll grab my things and meet you down in a minute."

"Whatever," Gilbert grumbled grumpily. Presentations were not his thing anymore…sure, he'd been awesome at them in his day, but after nearly a hundred years of not having to give one—after the Great War, Ludwig had stepped up and shouldered most of the responsibilities— he was understandably…well, he wasn't nervous exactly, because awesome people didn't get nervous. It was more that he was annoyed more than anything else. He had told West when he had become the German Empire that once he got more power, he was going to have to be responsible for it and not complain, because that was what nations did. It almost felt now like West was just shirking off his duties only for Prussia to have to pick them up…even though Gilbert knew Ludwig wasn't, and never had shirked _any _obligation he'd ever had _ever_.

As he turned to go, the albino couldn't help but watch his brother-sister as she ran to her closet fishing through clothes. He was surprised, for a moment, when Ludwig bent over, and revealed to the Prussian, a very fine, firm ass. A shiver of excitement ran through the albino, and the old instinct to seize vital regions coursed through him, making him almost drool, but he turned away sharply, face bright red. He had to remember that West was a man, even though he looked like a hot girl—he meant girl! Just girl... He could not stare at his _brother's _ass…or really nice boobs…

Making his way down the stairs, Gilbert had to resist the urge to run back up and conquer his new sister when he heard her give a lamented cry that sounded ungodly good to him at that moment. A smirk appeared on his face again and he snickered, deducing that West was having a hard time find clothes that fit.

**oOoOoOo**

For the _hundredth _time, Ludwig went through his presentation for his brother. Why wasn't the albino getting this? It was so simple, and yet the other seemed too thick headed to even begin to comprehend the meaning of any of this. _Why is my brother so stupid? And why do these things always happen to me, dammit? _Germany lamented silently.

"Gilbert!" he snapped in his new feminine voice, hands on his hips, not realizing that he made the perfect picture of a livid housewife. "Are you even _trying _to pay attention?"

"Huh?" said albino's eyes seemed to come back into focus, and he flushed slightly. "_Ja, ja _I'm paying attention, West. Geez! Don't freaking go all PMS on me."

Ludwig's eye twitched, the smart-alecky comment hitting a raw nerve with him. "SHUT UP!" he yelled, his voice not nearly as loud or as booming as it had once been. "I am _not _PMSing, and you _weren't _paying attention just now! Do you want this deal to fall through or something?"

The older German just sat and stared at the blonde for a long moment before sighing. "Give me a break, will ya, West? If you haven't noticed, _I've _had a rather strange morning myself. I haven't gotten a lot of sleep, and it's been _years _since I've had to do something like this. Just, go through the very last part again. I've got the rest."

Germany sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose…which seemed much smaller as well, before doing as his brother requested. Once it seemed that Gilbert had a firm understanding of what he was to do, Ludwig dismissed him so he could shower and dress properly for the day of work. Heaven knew the albino needed to bathe, he smelled like stale beer and limes, strangely enough.

Once the albino was gone, Ludwig sat down heavily in one of the kitchen chairs before burying his face in his hands. "What the fuck happened to me?" he asked no one in particular. This was more than frustrating, not to mention mortifying. His mind was in overdrive at the moment, and he began worrying about if he never changed back. How would he face the world like this? He was _Deutschland, das Vaterland_. FATHERLAND! He wasn't the Motherland— strangely enough, that title went to Russia—and he had built his whole reputation around being strong and orderly and commanding and completely and utterly _manly_. How could he do this while in the body of a woman? Or rather, it was still _his _body, it had just somehow shifted and morphed into a woman…right? This was too confusing.

Standing up, deciding that pitying himself wasn't going to get anything done, Ludwig began making breakfast. Gilbert had the bad habit of sleeping until at least nine-thirty, possible longer for all Germany knew, but the other was going to need something on his stomach now if he was ever going to survive the day. Once that was done, he set the table and covered the food to serve it when Gilbert was done getting ready.

Still anxious and worried, Ludwig began packing and organizing the presentation materials, making sure to put everything in exact order for his brother. When that was done, he turned his attention to the fact that Gilbert wouldn't have time to go out and eat because of how all the meetings were scheduled and the albino wouldn't probably have the foresight to pack a lunch himself, so Ludwig did that too. And once that was finish, the dogs started to whine, so he opened the door for them to go run in the yard for a little bit. It wasn't as good as a walk, but it would do for a day. Or at least until he turned back into a man. _Which will be soon!_ Ludwig kept telling himself. Veneziano always told him he needed to be more positive…though Gilbert had always told him that optimistic people were liars…

When Gilbert _still _wasn't out of the shower, Ludwig decided that maybe it would be all right to set out the food anyway. So he did that before sitting down at the table, waiting for Gilbert to come up. Looking down at his lap, Ludwig despaired at seeming his new breasts sitting nicely on his chest. What made him even more depressed was the fact that his clothes, which had all once fit him perfectly, were now so baggy and bulky that they were almost eating his new, slimmer frame. He probably looked ridiculous and Gilbert had probably been laughing at him silently all morning. Who wouldn't? The whole situation was positively demeaning.

The albino came in at that moment, wearing his now seldom used pinstriped suit, and a nice red tie that seemed to bring out the crimson of his eyes. The white-blonde hair looked actually combed through, though it still hung around his face, the same as always, though Gilbird was nowhere to be seen. All in all, Gilbert really did clean up nicely, and Ludwig couldn't help but believe that the suit really did make the man. In fact, the way that suit was cut, it actually made his brother look really rather nice. Why hadn't Ludwig ever noticed this before? Maybe—

"Why are you staring at me?"

The question broke Germany from his thoughts and he looked up into his brother's eyes to see confusion dancing in the bloody irises. "O-oh, nothing. It's just…I haven't seen you wear that suit in a while," Ludwig explained quickly, fighting down a blush that had come from nowhere.

The older German nodded and sat down at his place, immediately helping himself to some of the toast and eggs. "Guess I haven't worn it in a while," he admitted with a slight shrug. "I'm surprised it still fits as well as it does. I thought I got a little slimmer."

"Yeah," the blonde muttered, spooning himself some eggs.

They ate in relative silence, each lost in thought, sipping their coffee, when Gilbert stood. He looked like he was going to the fridge when he stopped and noticed the lunch bag Germany had made up for him sitting on the counter. "Keseseseseseses!" he began laughing hysterically. "You made my lunch?"

Ludwig turned fire engine red. "W-well, I wasn't sure you were smart enough to remember," he growled out defensively. "Besides, I…I had nothing else to do…"

The albino continued to snicker, looking thoroughly amused. It was the wicked gleam in his smile as well as the playful red eyes that Ludwig hated the most in that moment. "Well, thanks, _honey_. I'll be home from work around five," he laughed. "Don't wait up too long."

Ludwig continued to blush, feeling very stupid, even though he had just tried to do something nice for his obnoxious brother. "Shut up," he snapped, unable to meet his brother's gaze. "Just don't mess up this presentation or I'll kill you," he muttered.

Gilbert cackled again, much to the younger brother's mortification. "Whatever you say, little lady."

"Shut up, already," the blonde growled, walking his brother to the door. "And remember to take really good notes over the meetings so I can review them tonight."

The Prussian rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, I get it, West. I've done shit like this before, remember?"

"But not for several years," Ludwig snapped, before sighing. "While you're gone, I'll try and find out what happened to me. Maybe this is just some weird…24 hour flue or something," he mumbled the last part to himself, wincing after he said it.

The albino seemed to have heard, however, and chuckled for a moment before becoming serious. "Maybe you should call Britain, or Norway. Those two are always talking about weird shit, like fairy and unicorns and whatever. Maybe they can help."

"Maybe," Ludwig agreed quietly. "But I'd rather not involve anyone else at the moment if I can help it."

"Right," Gilbert nodded. "That'd probably be best…Well, see ya later, West. I'll take all good notes, and try to speak clearly and enunciate all my words in the presentation. Oh, and I'll be sure to play nice with all the other kids too so you won't get a call from the principal's office today."

Ludwig rolled his eyes at his brother's teasing. "Fine. Whatever. Just don't mess up. Bye."

Gilbert winked at him once before he opened the door and walked out. The moment his brother was gone, Ludwig found himself feeling lonely and very vulnerable. But ever the productive German, Ludwig decided that he couldn't afford to waste the day away just because he was a woman at the moment feeling sorry for himself. No, he would get some of the much needed house chores out of the way while he waited for Gilbert to get back home. Maybe he could even find something to explain what had happened to him? He could only hope.

**oOoOoOo**

From Heaven, the Roman Empire smiled gleefully as he took a long look at the blonde woman that had only a day ago been the stern, manly Germany. He giggled in utter delight, rubbing his hands together. "Let the games begin!" he cried, before turning to go and find Germania, so that their wager could get underway.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Yes, yes indeed it's true. I'm completely insane. Germany's a woman now, and Gilbert's attracted. Rome, you bastard, what have you done?

In case you were wondering, Gilbert almost immediately began seeing Ludwig as a woman, referring to "him" as "her" in his mind. Ludwig, on the other hand, still very much wants to think of himself as a man. So don't let that confuse you, Ludwig still is very much a girl. X)

Anywho, once again, please review. I'd be most beholdin' to ya. ^^


	3. Chapter 2: Dilemmas and Italians

**Chapter Two: Dilemmas and Italians**

Germania was starting to think that being dead wasn't so bad—it only took him close to two thousand years to admit to this— and he was just starting to relax when the bane of his existence came bouncing up to him. "Now's the time to place your bets!" the Roman Empire exclaimed happily.

The blonde scowled darkly at his companion. "I thought the point of Heaven was so that everything was to be perfect and I won't have to _suffer _anymore," he drawled, not at all liking the brunette bouncing bubbly beside him.

"You're not suffering!" the other exclaimed merrily…right into his companions ear, unfortunately. "If it weren't for _me _you'd be in hell because of all your pagan ways. You're lucky I had you baptized before I died!"

The German nation wanted to inform the Italian that it was due to his grandson's urging, pushing the Christian religion that had saved him—ironically, it had killed him as well as he could not exist alongside the Holy Roman Empire…a terrible name, really—but the other would not listen, nor would he probably care. The brunette was about as thick as they came when it came to certain topics, and the German did not really feel like talking to a wall at the moment. He supposed that even though he was in Heaven, God still had to punish him for his centuries of wrong doings by saddling him with the Roman Empire to take care of. He wasn't really sure if it was a fair trade off or not…

"Okay, now I wager that it will take…let's say six months, as we all know how dense you Germans are when it comes to this sort of thing," the empire winked playfully at his friend.

"What, in the name of all that is good, right, and decent are you blathering on about now?" the blonde asked, feeling his eye start twitching.

"Our wager!" the other exclaimed, having the gull to look a bit hurt, like the other was supposed to know what he was talking about.

"What wager?"

The Roman Empire looked a bit coy before a wicked grin spread over his face. "Why don't you go check on your grandson?" he asked instead.

Dread filled Germania at that look. He had plenty of experience with _that _look. He had seen his people die because of _that _look, had found himself indebted and serving Rome because of _that _look, and he absolutely _hated _it above anything else. Slowly, the blonde inched forward, to look down to see his grandson's house. Usually his adoptive grandson, the Prussian, came home early in the morning from the bar, while his German grandson woke up only two hours after the other went to sleep. It was nearly eight o'clock in Germany at that moment, and he peered down anxiously. Ludwig should be almost heading out the door by now to go to work…

Deep blue eyes widened in utter horror and confusing. "WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO MY GRANDSON?"

Rome began giggling madly. "Isn't he pretty? He's actually a lot cuter than I thought he would turn out~"

Germania was speechless. He saw his Prussian grandson standing by the door conversing with a very handsome looking blonde woman. The once great nation might not have realized that was his grandson had it not been for two things; one, Gilbert _never _got up this early, especially after running on so little sleep, especially to get dressed up in a suite if all was well, and two, that girl was not only wearing Ludwig's clothing, but also had the exact mannerisms of his grandson. And add on the fact that his mind had started working quickly once the Roman Empire had come barging in and he recalled the other night's bet.

"W-what have you done?" he asked again, wondering if he could die while in Heaven from a heart attack.

Again, the brunette began giggling. "Just as I said, my friend, I set up everything so our bet could commence properly."

"You're not my friend!" Germania screamed. "And why the hell did God do this so you could place a bet? You always told me gambling was a sin!"

The Italian shrugged. "I don't know. But who am I to question the Almighty?" The blonde snorted. "But, like I said, I bet it will take close to six months before your Ludwig is confessing her undying love for my Feliciano."

"Ludwig is a _man_!" Germania growled. "And I'm not betting on this. Go change him back. _Now_."

"You're really no fun, you know that?" Rome pouted. "But I can't change him back, not until one of us wins the bet."

The German wasn't sure why he was so horrified, seeing as Rome did this sort of thing all the time, but he was. He did not like the idea of someone messing with his children or grandchildren, because despite his cold demeanor and indifferent nature, he really did care about his relatives. Of course he would never admit to anyone that he did, but if _anyone _even Rome, started making trouble for his relations, Germania would do anything to shut them down.

"So you're saying that Ludwig will never turn back into a man unless I show you, without a doubt, that he will not fall in love with your Feliciano?" Germania asked slowly.

"That's right!" Rome beamed. "If I win, then Feliciano and Ludwig will be in love and he will stay a woman so they can love each other forever and make adorable babies together!" The blonde blanched at this and nearly threw up at the thought. "But if Ludwig does not fall in love with Feliciano, and there is undeniable _proof _that she is not and will not ever fall in love with him, then she will turn back into a man. That's the deal."

Looking back down at his grandsons, Germania saw Gilbert walk out the door while Ludwig looked around the now empty house looking a bit lost and confused. Poor boy, he really did not deserve to be used and harassed in this manner, "But if I don't place my own bet, then he'll not turn back?" the blonde asked.

"Nope," the Roman Empire smiled. "He'll stay that way until you decide to play along."

Germania winced. "Fine. Then I wager my grandson will _never _fall in love with yours."

"Excellent!" the Italian exclaimed. "That's getting into the spirit! And I bet you that Feliciano is able to make the girl fall _madly _in love with him."

The blonde sighed before holding out his hand for the other to shake. "It's a bet then."

"Ah ah, before we shake on it, the rules," the Italian said seriously. "So it's fair, neither one of us can interfere with what's happening with them. That means, no pushing, no giving advice, no nothing. We just sit back and watch events play out. Deal?"

"Fine," Germania sighed again.

The two former nations shook hands on the wager, making Germania a bit uncomfortable. He began to worry a bit; if Rome's grandson was a stupid and persistent as his grandfather, then Ludwig was in for a rough time. There was no doubt in Germania's mind that Germany would not fall to the seductive powers of the little Italian man, but the two of them were friends. He wondered how long it would take Ludwig to give sufficient proof that he would not fall in love with Feliciano, proof enough for Rome.

The blonde sighed. "It's going to be a long wager…"

**oOoOoOo**

When Gilbert left, Ludwig immediately went to clean up the breakfast dishes. Gilbert hadn't eaten much, and Ludwig even less, but the blonde hoped his brother would be able to make it through the day all right. As he scrubbed the dishes, he had to make sure that his anger and anxiety didn't get the better of him, because he certainly didn't want to end up breaking any of the plates.

Once that was done, the gender confused nation decided that the dogs had been out long enough and whistled for them to come back in. The three dogs all turned and raced to the door. But instead of running past Germany as he would have thought, they stopped and began sniffing him. When he had let them out, they had seemed a little different, but had needed to go out more than anything and raced past, but now that they were happy and had done their business, they seemed to realize that they did not know their master's new form, and began sniffing him with the greatest interest.

"Yes, yes, it's me," Ludwig sighed, petting each one in turn. Again he was met with just how short he was now that he didn't have to bend over as much to pet them. He wasn't sure if he liked that.

Once the dogs were finished licking and sniffing him, they raced back to their food bowls, waiting eagerly to see if the "new" master would feed them. Smiling slightly, Germany shook his head, more amused than anything, before he went and poured some food into their dishes. They were excited this morning, probably because of Ludwig's transformation, but also because they had been left outside longer than normal. But for once, Germany really appreciated their enthusiasm. It was nice to know that they still recognized him, if only his scent. Their cheerfulness really did brighten his foul mood a bit.

When the dogs were taken care of, Ludwig decided that it was time to do some research and see if he could find out anything. Normally nations kept their personal lives as quiet as possible—which was very difficult considering that anything they did pretty much affected the country!—but as to how the nations function, how it was they were both the land and a person at the same time was never explained to humans. Most countries did not think that it would be good for humans to know, knowing that they might try and do something foolish considering that most nations looked like super heroes compared to the average person, with their strength and their seemingly immortal life. But the blonde hoped that perhaps there was _something _on the internet to at least get him started in the right direction. Maybe China knew something about this, considering he was the oldest living nation in the world. The countries themselves had set up their own websites that humans could not access or hack, so perhaps China put down some of his old, ancient wisdom? Or maybe Britain posted something about his magical friends or something. Maybe the humans knew of some sort of myth that this correlated with this too. It didn't matter to Germany as long as he was able to find something.

Getting out his laptop, he sat down in his office and began scanning through website after website, looking for anything he thought might be helpful. He checked myths, legends, China's blogs, Britain's blogs, even Norway's. He read through medical and health articles that even talked about plastic surgery, but _nothing _got him any closer to figuring this out. The closest he got to his problem were stories of people turning into animals because some people insulted some sort of god. Thinking back to the day before and even over the whole month, Ludwig could not think of anything he'd done to upset any sort of weird god or anything like that, nor did he offend anyone that claimed to possess magic, as far as he knew. He had a schedule, dammit, and he never deviated from it! So he _knew _there was no way he could have offended anyone, magical, godly, or otherwise.

After working for over three hours straight, Germany decided that it was time to take a break. He was tired and his eyes were starting to hurt form reading on the computer so much. Taking off his glasses—which were not only almost too big for him to use, but seemed to be a prescription off now—the blonde stood up from his seat and stretched. It felt good to move around a bit.

Walking out of his office, the other decided that it was time for a beer break. He was surprised he hadn't started drinking early, everything considered. As he walked into the kitchen, Blackie raised his head, staring at his master oddly for a moment before lying back down. The nation frowned, wishing he looked like the master the dogs knew again, before looking at the clock. It was only a little after eleven. _Oh well, _Germany thought as he opened the fridge and opened a bottle of beer. _At least I waited this long before rushing to the alcohol_. He knew very well how others teased him and Gilbert for their habits of drinking in the morning, but quite frankly, he didn't really care.

Sighing in contentment as the amber liquid slid down his throat, Germany walked back to the living room. He wasn't really hungry yet, but he didn't want to work on research again quite so soon. Honestly, after reading so many fairytales and blogs from creeps that believed they were abducted by aliens, the German just wanted a moment to close his eyes and set his brain back in order. Maybe there was something he was missing, something very obvious?

It's true he'd always been interested in science and engineering, but he hadn't had much time lately to tinker with any of that. He hadn't heard any ground breaking new reports in the science department, and nothing of the sort had been brought up at any of the meetings he attended, so it couldn't be that. He was pretty sure none of the other countries had invented anything like that either, because honestly, why would they shoot _him _with it right off the bat? Just a few years ago he had been voted one of the best liked countries in the world! If someone was going to get experimented on with a new type of invention out of spite, honestly, Germany would have put his money on America being the target. But anyway, such a complete transformation would be impossible, the German would think. Surely he would have felt _something _when he had changed if it was possible.

With all logical, scientific explanations thought through and disregarded, Germany could only turn his attention to the supernatural, to magic. Normally he was not the type of nation that believed in such things so willingly. But he had been around quite a long time, and he had to admit he'd seen some pretty interesting things that no science could ever explain, and there was also a mystical element to personifications themselves, so the blonde could not completely rule out such things. But what caused him to change if it was supernatural? Why him and no one else? He could not think of _anything _he'd done yesterday or the day before that would have caused something like this to happen. He had stuck to his schedule! He hadn't done anything spontaneous or even outside of his list for…well, at least several months! So if he had done something to upset a unicorn or fairy or whatever else the hell Britain ranted on about, then shouldn't it have happened before?

Sighing, Ludwig took another swig of beer, wishing he could just turn back time so that he could sit up all night and _see _just what would happen to him and _stop _it. But such thoughts were frivolous and it was impossible. There was nothing to be gained by sitting around and wishing for something to be different. And just as Germany was thinking about grabbing another beer, there was a knock on the door.

Ludwig sat up, staring at the door with wide, horrified eyes. _Shit! _He thought. _Who the hell is coming over at eleven in the morning? _Slowly standing up, the blonde went to go see if he could figure out who it was. _It's all right. You don't have to answer, make them think you're not home_, he tried to reassure himself.

Whoever was at the door kept knocking continuously, making Ludwig's eye twitch. But at least he knew that it was most certainly _not _a German. Just as he was about to peek through the peephole, a nasally, high pitched voice rang through the air. "Prussia! Ve~ Open the door!"

_Shit shit shit! _Germany panicked, backing away from the door quickly. _What the hell is Veneziano doing here? _He took several deep breaths trying to calm his racing heart. _It's okay, Ludwig, it's okay. You still don't have to open the door. _

"Prussia!" the Italian called again, as Germany kept backing away. Suddenly the door handle started to jiggle and Ludwig heard the tumblers of the lock beginning to open.

_FUCK! _Ludwig dashed as fast as he could to the closest door and rushed inside just as the front door opened up.

"Ve~ Prussia?" Italy called once he was in the house.

Germany found himself on the other side of Gilbert's door, having run to the basement in his panic. He held the doorknob closed tightly, and pressed his ear against the door, listening as best as he could to follow the Italian's movements. _Where the hell did he get a key? _He kept thinking, not remembering Gilbert saying anything about Feliciano coming over.

"Gilbert?" the ditzy brunette called. "Are you here?"

Ludwig heard the other's steps going into the living room. "Gilbert?" The steps went into the kitchen. "Ve, Gilbert?"

For the third time in less than five minutes, the blonde cursed before rushing to find somewhere to hide, because Veneziano was coming to Gilbert's room. Not knowing what he was doing, Germany ran deep into the "Awesome Cave" and had a hard time seeing with the lights off. When the door opened, Ludwig panicked and dropped to the floor and crawled under his brother's bed. He cursed thinking it would have been better to hide in the closet, but it couldn't be helped now. The only good thing about any of this was now that he changed he was actually able to _fit _under the bed. Ludwig couldn't honestly remember the last time he had been under a bed.

Covering a hand over his mouth to stop himself from breathing too hard, Ludwig waited. Feliciano flipped on the lights and looked around. The blonde could see the Italian leather shoes walking about. "Gilbert? You in here?"

The brunette began looking about the room, searching everywhere. When Italy opened up the closet door, Ludwig silently thanked God he hadn't hidden there after all. "Gilbert? Where could he be?" the other asked quietly to himself. And once he seemed to realize that the albino wasn't there, he turned to leave. "Ve~ I know! Maybe he's in Germany's room again!"

The happy Italian ran out of Gilbert's room, not bothering to turn the lights off, but slamming the door. Ludwig heard his friend cry out when the door closed, probably scared himself, and rolled his eyes. Crawling out from underneath the bed, the blonde scowled at the dust that coded his shirt. Gilbert's room, contrary to popular belief, was not a pigsty, but it was messy, messier than the picky blonde would have liked. Gilbert was still a German and therefore liked order…the problem was Gilbert was also a tired German, and no longer a strict military state, so he didn't mind being a little messy when he could get away with it.

But while scowling at all the empty beer bottles that littered the floor, Ludwig suddenly was struck with a thought. "_My _room?" he whispered in anger. Why the hell was Gilbert going up in his room? And why the hell did Feliciano think it was okay to just barge up there, especially since it was clear to anyone with a brain that no one was home?

Growling, the German sat down on the unmade bed with a huff, crossing his arms…only to find boobs in his way. "I hate this," he sighed, but was suddenly struck with a thought. He'd been too panicked this morning to even think about this, but he was a woman now, and from Gilbert's reaction, a woman that wasn't all that bad looking. Standing up and walking over to the mirror, and stared at himself.

He had looked at himself this morning, but he had only really looked to see that he was different. Now that he was alone and had come to terms with what had happened to him, more or less, he could now actually take a _look _at himself. What he saw in the mirror was a young girl, looking younger than his "twenty years" with big blue eyes and short light blonde hair. Ludwig looked closely at the round face, and the pouting lips. On a whim, he pulled his shirt around his frame tighter to see a curvy body and lean muscles rather than his former bulky ones. And while he was at first annoyed, he was suddenly very interested in his chest. Looking down, he realized that whoever had turned him into a woman had definitely blessed him in the bosom department.

Overall, Ludwig could not help but think that he was pretty sort of woman. He had to admit that he would have probably wanted to have asked himself out…if that made any sort of sense…and didn't sound _really _weird. He winced at his own illogical thought. But curiosity and his perverted side getting the better of him, Germany realized that he had never actually seen himself while naked, he just sort of changed clothes without really noticing anything because he was so worried. Now he was really curious and he couldn't help but touch his chest, pushing it up, wondering if he needed to get a bra now. But after thinking that, he slapped himself for such a bizarre thought. He wouldn't be a woman for too long anyway, so the answer was _no _he wouldn't need one.

But ignoring that thought, he went back to looking at his figure in the mirror. He decided he was a fairly decent looking woman, with a figure that he knew for certain any man would be pleased with in a woman. Twisting his mouth to the side, Ludwig decided that the short hair was okay. Personally he liked women with longer hair, but it didn't look to terrible he supposed. Almost embarrassedly, he ran his hands through his hair, making it messy, fluffing his bangs out.

Slowly, he began making faces in the mirror, trying to see if he could make his new face make a sexy one. Then he tried— awkwardly mind you— to strike a pose like one of the girls in his…ahem, "naughty" magazines. But after one attempt, cheeks flaming with embarrassment, Ludwig gave up, feeling completely stupid and humiliated.

Sighing for what felt like the millionth time that day, Germany strained his ears again to locate Italy. The Italian was just coming down the stairs—after snooping about in _his _room!—but instead of going to the front door to leave, like anyone else would, the ditz went into the kitchen instead. _Shit, Feliciano, what are you doing? Cooking? _And when Ludwig heard the unmistakable sound of pots being banged together, he got his answer.

Scowling at his thoughtless friend, Germany sat down in Gilbert's computer chair. He was startled when he saw a yellow ball of fluff come close to him. Looking down, he saw Gilbird, probably just waking up. "Gilbert didn't take you?" he asked the chick gently. The little yellow bird of unknown species looked up at Ludwig, cocking his head in thought before flying up and nesting in Ludwig's hair. For the next couple of minutes, the blonde tried to get the little thing out, but stubbornly, the bird remained. "Fine," he growled to it a moment later. "But if you poop in my hair, you're dinner, got it?" His only response was a happy chirp.

Turning his attention to the computer, Ludwig thought that perhaps he should resume his research down here since there was an Italian intruder in his kitchen. So, turning on the device, Ludwig was suddenly struck with another unpleasant truth: he did not know Gilbert's password to log in. Frowning in thought, Germany paused to think of a likely word or phrase his brother would use. "Awesome?" he muttered, typing the word in. The computer thought a moment before informing Ludwig that that was the incorrect password. A hint popped up to aid the German in his decrypting, and the all too obvious hint was the word "awesome".

Absentmindedly, Ludwig reached up to stroke Gilbird, who was snuggled in his hair. "So it's something Gilbert thinks is awesome…_bier_?" Once again, he guessed wrong. "Okay. What about _wurst_?" Incorrect. "Right, it has to be something _Gilbert _thinks is awesome…"

The blonde went through everything his brother thought was awesome, from "little birds" to "kicking Austria's ass". He tried one word passwords, phrases with and without spaces, even going as far as substituting numbers for some letter that looked the same, but to no avail. Ludwig was slightly disgruntled that he did not seem to even know what his own brother thought was awesome. Hell, he had even typed in "France" and "Spain" on the off chance that his brother felt generous enough to dub his friends as being "awesome" but it had not been it.

Sighing, Ludwig looked about his brother's messy room when he eyes fell on the Prussian flag that was hanging over the bed. The blonde nearly slapped himself in the head for his stupidity, before turning back to the screen. "_Preuβen_!" he muttered in triumph, only to be disappointed when that was not the correct word. Scowling now out of frustration, Ludwig sighed. "East Germany?" It was wrong. "East?" Incorrect. Tentatively, almost shyly, he tried one last thought, "_Deutschland_?" It was incorrect. Apparently Gilbert had not been feeling particularly patriotic when he was making up his password.

Sighing again, the blonde sat back in the desk chair thinking. He couldn't do anymore research because he couldn't get on the computer, and he couldn't go upstairs because Veneziano was still in the house …who now he sounded like he was singing. Frustrated, Ludwig looked around the room again. It was messy…

With nothing else to do other than wait for the Italian to leave, the German got up and decided to clean for his older brother, because Heaven knew Gilbert wouldn't do it!

**oOoOoOo**

That night, Gilbert came dragging himself home, tired, hungry, and with a headache the size of Russia. When the house came into view, the albino could have cried with relief. He had never thought seeing his and Ludwig's house sitting there so calm and naturally could be such a beautiful thing. Pulling into the garage and turning off the engine of the car, the older German stumbled out and into the house dramatically, lugging his briefcase behind him pathetically. When he said it'd been years since he'd gone to a meeting like this, he had meant it, it had been years! He had gotten so use to doing whatever he wanted all day that sitting still and stiff in a business suit, having to politely listen to everyone and answer questions, not to mention the paperwork, had nearly killed the former independent nation.

"West!" he called, his voice dramatically weary. "I'm home! You're awesome savior has returned! West?"

A blonde head poked out from around the corner of the kitchen. For a moment, Gilbert had forgotten exactly why he had had to go in and work for his brother in the first place, but seeing the girl, being reminded of Ludwig's... "condition," the albino's heart did a little flip from surprise before he was once again used to the situation. After remembering that his brother was a girl, Gilbert realized that said girl was marching over to him, with a definite scowl. That wasn't good.

"What the hell was Feliciano doing over here today?" the younger German demanded.

Taken back by the sudden question that sounded full of accusation, it took the older German a moment for his brain to actually catch up with the question. "Wait…what? What's this about Feliciano?"

The blonde crossed her arms angrily, lips pouting ever so slightly. "Feliciano came over today."

The Prussian's attention instantly switched from staring at Ludwig's chest to her face when her words kicked in. "What? He didn't see you, did he?" he asked in alarm.

"No, he didn't see me," Ludwig snapped impatiently. "I had to hide almost all afternoon because he was here. He even made pasta in the kitchen, for God's sake!"

"Well, what was he doing here?" Gilbert couldn't help but like the fire in the blue eyes that were looking up at him, and he found himself wanted to bite those pouting lips.

"Hell, I don't know," Germany sighed. "He came in the house calling for you…And where the hell did he get a key to the house?"

The albino shrugged, not liking the idea of Italy being able to come and go as he pleased anymore. Before it hadn't mattered much to him since the younger nation liked to make him food, but now, with West being as she was, he didn't like it. "Maybe we should have the locks changed?" he offered.

"Maybe," Ludwig agreed thoughtfully before sighing. "Well, come into the kitchen, dinner's almost ready."

Gilbert couldn't help but snicker slightly when his new sister's back was turned. "Keseseseses! Ever the doting housewife, eh West?"

"Shut the fuck up, Gilbert."

Again, the older brother just laughed, shaking his head in amusement. He walked down to his room to change before eating. When he went down, his eyes widened in surprise. His whole room, from the ceiling to Gilbird's bird cage, was spotlessly clean. The bed sheets looked fresh and pressed, and all of his video games and consoles were neat and organized. The floor had been swept and the walls looked scrubbed too. Walking to his closet, Gilbert opened it to find that it too had been cleaned and organized, all the clothes hanging up neatly. He whistled in appreciation.

But too hungry and tired to really have the desire to look around more thoroughly, the former kingdom changed into shorts and a t-shirt before going to the kitchen to join his new sister for dinner. "Jeez, West, been busy today?"

The blonde turned around from the stove, looking irritated and confused, but once she seemed to realize just what her brother was referring to, she blushed that beautiful blush of hers before turning away. "Yeah, well, I got trapped in your room when Veneziano came over. He was here for at least two hours… I had nothing better to do."

"Awesome," Gilbert smiled as he sat down. He almost didn't notice Gilbird resting in Ludwig's hair, but once the little bird saw his master, he flew from the younger German to the older. "Hey, buddy," he nuzzled the yellow ball of fluff affectionately. "Were you watching out for West today?"

It peeped in reply before going to settle in the silver locks of his master. "I'm surprised you didn't take him with you today," Ludwig said gently as she set out the food.

"To be honest, he had a late night and I didn't want to drag him along with me all day to be bored," Gilbert explained, helping himself to the food. "Man, West, how do you survive it every day with those _boring, _un-awesome people all day? And the paperwork! I _never _had that much, _ever_! Not even after you became the empire. Hell, I was close to just offing myself with a pen through the eye while hanging myself with a paperclip chain."

"Don't say things like that," Ludwig snapped, sending a stern expression her brother's way, catching the Prussian off guard.

It was true that after the Wall went down, and the two had been reunited, that Ludwig had become…well, a bit protective, almost possessive, over his brother. At first, it had annoyed Gilbert at how controlling his brother was, always wanting to know what he was doing, when, where he was going. Prussia had always been very independent, doing what he pleased when he pleased, so when West started cracking down after this, the albino had not liked it one bit and had often stayed out all night against his brother's wishes just to piss the younger German off.

However, it occurred to Gilbert one day at how scared and guilty his brother must have been without him. West did not remember a whole lot from before he became what then the Confederation of the Rhine, and even then from 1806 to 1814 his memory was a little foggy at best. Ludwig could only remember ever being with Gilbert, had always had Gilbert whenever he needed help, whenever he wanted advice or just to talk, and it occurred to the former kingdom that their separation must have been terrible for Ludwig. Actually, the blonde had confessed that himself, but the more he thought about it, the more the albino understood his brother's reasons and control issues. Ludwig was very unstable and worried when it came to his brother, and even now it seemed that he did not appreciate the thought of his brother's death, especially since neither one were quite sure if the former Prussian could sustain life since he had honestly been dissolved for years now.

"I was just teasing," the Prussian reassured, trying not to let on that he knew the other was actually scared at the thought. "But seriously, I'm exhausted!"

The blonde only nibbled at her food, looking pensive. "You didn't get home until this morning, did you?"

Feeling a bit guilty, the albino rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, I went to bed around four."

"So you've been running on two hours of sleep?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

The blonde looked a little guilty, but Gilbert didn't have time to appreciate it much since it faded away very quickly. "I hope you were able to pay attention today and give an adequate presentation."

The Eastern brother rolled his eyes. "_Ja,_ West, I did. Actually, after everyone got over being worried and suspicious of me since you weren't there, they actually liked the presentation. And I took notes for you to read tonight."

The blonde nodded before turning back to her food. "I…I didn't find anything useful today about…about what happened to me," she admitted. "I'm afraid that if I don't change back sometime tonight or early this morning, you'll have to go in again."

Gilbert nearly groaned, but he knew better to in front of Ludwig, so he bit his tongue. "Fine…but you owe me."

"I think letting you live here and mooching off of me and my paycheck while you do absolutely nothing all day while I do all the work is payment enough, thank you," the girl snapped, once again, eyes burning with a fire that appealed greatly to the albino, though he didn't know why.

"Whatever," he said instead, knowing that his new sister was probably just very stressed out about everything that happened recently. West always got a bit hurtful when tired and hassled.

And so the two finished their meal in relative silence. Because Gilbert had to work in the morning and had not gotten enough sleep the night before, Ludwig allowed her brother to excuse himself once he had put his dishes in the dishwasher, and let him relax for the night so he could go to bed early. The Prussian was very thankful for this as he hated having to clean up after dinner.

So, after showing West where all the notes were and explaining a few things from the meeting, the albino grabbed a beer and went down to his room to lay down. It was already nearly seven o'clock, and he was seriously thinking of just going to bed. But he couldn't help but pull out his journal instead, and began writing about his day. He told it all about what had happened to Ludwig, and his day at the office and then dinner.

As he wrote about the younger German, Gilbert couldn't help but smirk as he described the other in the fullest detail, telling the journal about Ludwig's nice boobs and ass and how she tended to pout more now and about how sexy she looked when she got angry—

And that's when it hit him. The whole day Gilbert had been amused over the thought that his little brother, the one that had the nerve to grow taller than him and more muscular than him, had been turned into a curvy, big chested woman. And in his mind, since he was having fun secretly laughing at Ludwig's plight, he had not stopped to truly realize just how attracted he was to his brother now. As he went through the day, he could not count how many times he had thought about West's new body, and what it might look like with little to no clothing on. Hell, he had wanted to seize her vital regions this morning when she bent over!

While Gilbert was not usually the most moral sort of person, he had been a strong Christian state way back when, and it didn't take just religion to tell him it was wrong to think such lustful things about your sister. Then again, he wasn't technically West's brother, he'd been adopted by Germania before West started his reign as the Holy Roman Empire. But then again, Gilbert had come to love West like a flesh and blood brother, even though there were not many nations in the world that were technically related by blood, the Italians were really the only two that the Prussian could think of that where. That being said, was it wrong to love someone that you've treated like a sibling for a few thousand years, even though they in theory were not? And all this difficulty was not even adding on the fact that West was really a _guy._

Confused and a little irritated at the dilemma, Gilbert opted to stop writing and go to bed. As he lay there though, he continued the dizzying debate with himself over the ethics of lusting after a girl that had once been your brother that was not even technically related by blood.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Okay, so the bets have been made, and Ludwig isn't going to change back any time soon, even though he doesn't know that. And Gilbert's fighting with himself over whether or not he should be attracted to his sister or not. Veneziano just came over to make things more complicated. X) You'll see him again soon.

Reasons why Ludwig was turned into the woman and not Feliciano:

1. Rome was slightly offended by Germania's attacks over his grandson's masculinity.

2. I think it makes things more ridiculous and fun.

3. I happen to really like fem!Germany because she acts almost exactly like regular Germany.

4. It confuses Gilbert. X)

So thanks everyone who has been reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it~ And once more, please, no flames or rude remarks. Thanks again!


	4. Chapter 3: Morning Freak Outs

**Chapter Three: Morning Freak Outs**

It had taken a little time the night before, but once Gilbert's mind quieted enough, the albino fell into a deep sleep, the previous day's events exhausting him. So when his alarm clock went off the following morning at six-thirty, he rolled over smashing the offending object with his fist, succeeding in breaking the damned thing into little pieces. He was still dead tired, and all he wanted to do was sleep until noon.

But just as he was about to continue on in his own peaceful realm of dreams, he heard a female voice call down to him. "_Bruder! Wach auf!_"

Remembering that Ludwig was a woman was not even enough to entice the sleepy Prussian to get up from his wonderfully warm blanket cocoon. "_Nein! _Go away!" he groaned, pulling his covers over his head.

The albino waited a moment and didn't hear anything, and just when he started to fully relax again, thinking he had gotten his way, something ripped the covers off of him, and a very cold something was pressed against his chest. "AHHHH!" he screamed, sitting up with wide, red eyes. "West, you bastard!" He grabbed for his covers again, only to find that they were not even on his bed anymore.

Looking up, he was met with the sight of a smirking girl, blue eyes sparkling with mischief as one hand held out his beloved blanket and the other was posed over his chest. "It's time to get up _Bruder_," she almost purred.

"God dammit, West, your hands are like ice," he muttered before trying to snatch back his blanket. He was too annoyed with being woken up to really appreciate his sister's playfulness.

The blonde was faster and held them out further. "I let you sleep in half an hour," she frowned at him. "You need to get up so I can tell you about today's meetings and you can get something to eat before you go."

Gilbert whined pitifully as he flopped back into his bed, turning his back to the blonde. "I'm _tired,_ West. I don't want to go to work today."

"Too bad." She didn't even seem the least bit sympathetic. "Get up before I flip you out of bed."

Ludwig had done that before. Gilbert remember it clearly and had vowed never to force his sibling to resort to that method of waking up again, but just as the albino was about to submit, a wicked thought occurred to him. Smirking evilly to himself, he curled up as though to ignore the other. "Make me."

"Gilbert," a strong warning came into Ludwig's voice, but that was perfect as far as the other was concerned. He played not to hear and snuggled down into his bed. "Ugh, Gilbert, you _schweinhund_, get up!"

Just as promised, the blonde moved to flip her brother out of bed. The only problem with this plan was now that Ludwig was a woman, she just did not have the same strength she once had. It was much harder for her to try and move her brother, and as she labored, Gilbert stayed still, waiting for just the right moment. And when Ludwig lost her footing, the albino struck.

When she slipped on the carpet, Gilbert turned around with a triumphant cry, and grabbed the startled girl and pinned her arms to her side as he pulled her down onto the bed with him in a bear hug. "Gilbert!" she cried in anger and surprise.

"Keseseses!" the older German laughed. "Surrender, West, or there will be consequences," he warned, all the while loving the feel of her warm body in his arms.

The girl struggled in her brother's hold, thrashing about wildly. "Gilbert, you jerk! Get off of me!"

"And give up the chance of beating you in wrestling since you were a little kid? Never!"

"Bastard," the girl growled, which was music to her brother's ears.

Ludwig managed to wriggle an arm out of her brother's hold, and using it, grabbed a handful of Gilbert's hair and pulled backwards. "OUCH!" he yelped, loosening his grip around her.

"Get off," the blonde repeated more forcefully, and continued to wriggle out of the albino's hold, but Gilbert would have none of it. Instead he tried squeezing the air out of her from around her middle, and watched as she gasped out, having not expected that attack. But before he could rejoice, she seemed to pull all her strength into breaking free, lurching forward. This upset the balance that had been so perfectly created before, causing both Germans to fall to the floor.

Both siblings struggled and wrestled with one another, neither one particularly worried about hurting the other, just wanting to come out as victor. Ludwig was much more flexible than before, though lacking severely in strength as compared to before. Gilbert, on the other hand, found himself nearly busting with mirth and energy when he realized that he was indeed, once again the stronger sibling. He grabbed and hit his sister in a playful manner, but when it seemed Ludwig became desperate and bit him, all fun and games ceased.

It hadn't been very hard, more of a quick pinch, but that had been enough to get the albino's attention. The moment the girl had bitten his ear, the former state of Prussia was once again at full peek, and he quickly apprehended his rowdy West, and pinned her down underneath of him more out of instinct than anything. It was only when he had her seized did the albino realize the position he was in, the position he had put his sister in.

He was basically lying on top of Ludwig, each hand holding her wrists above her head, while he was between her legs. The look of fire in her eyes left him breathless and being so flushed up against her made the older nation blush. He was very much in the sort of position every man, nation or otherwise, would have loved to be in, and while a part of him was enjoying it, there was a side of him that was disgusted with himself.

His hesitation in continuing his attack was his undoing, and Ludwig slammed her head into his. Taken off guard, Gilbert jumped backwards, hissing in pain while the girl managed to crawl out of her brother's hold. "Shit, Ludwig! That hurt!" He glared at her.

The blonde stood up quickly, straightening her clothes and brushing her bangs from her eyes. She was panting, looking red from exertion, and looked very disheveled. She looked beautiful to the albino that sat on his knees before her nursing the goose egg that was forming on his forehead. Gilbert felt his mind go blank, again, wanting nothing more than to kiss that scowl right off of Ludwig's lips, when she spoke. "What the hell was that?" she demanded, hand on her round hips.

"Huh?" the albino blinked several times to try and clear his mind of the lustful thoughts that paraded around in his brain. "Haha," he laughed a bit nervously, though trying to retain an arrogant front. "That was awesome! I'm totally stronger than you now too!" he said quickly, trying very hard to make his sister mad. Maybe if she was mad, he wouldn't be so attracted?

Ludwig growled low in the back of her throat, sending shivers down Gilbert's spine. "You're an inconsiderate bastard," she sneered, her face still red, before she kicked him. Apparently she did not like being reminded that she was weaker than her brother anymore then she had liked being reminded that she was shorter than him.

The albino grunted painfully from the foot contacting with his side, but didn't comment on it. "It was just an observation, you know," he gasped.

"I don't care what the hell it was," the girl snapped irritably. "Just get up and get ready for work. I have a lot to cover before you go."

With that, the angry blonde stormed up the stairs, grumbling under her breath, leaving the albino to catch his breath. Damn she kicked hard! But at least it distracted the Prussian from thinking other things about his sister. After all, Ludwig was still a guy deep down, and manly women were _not _attractive. They were completely un-awesome and not worth Gilbert's notice…so why then, even after his sister behaved more like a brother, did the older nation still find himself very much curious about the other?

"Damn," he muttered, standing up before loafing over to his closet. Gilbird seemed to have woken during the skirmish and was staring at him expectantly from the headboard. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Wrestling was a stupid move. But in my own defense," he held his hands up in surrender to the bird, "I thought that if Ludwig acted more like a guy then I'd be less interested…Stupid West and her stupidly awesome body…I mean _un_-awesome body…Dammit!"

It was all too confusing. If only Ludwig had turned into some sort of hairy, lumberjack sort of woman that was tall and butch, like the type of women people might expect Ludwig to be if he was a woman. Who knew that the German would turn out to be so good looking? Everything would have been much simpler if Ludwig's girl-form had looked exactly like her man one, only maybe with boobs. That would have been disturbing enough to ensure Gilbert not even wanting to touch her with a ten foot pole. But _no _Ludwig just _had _to have turned into a good looking girl! What an un-awesome stroke of luck!

Sighing, Gilbert opened his closet doors, taking a moment to appreciate West's hard work she did the day before cleaning and organizing his things, before pulling out another one of his long forgotten suits. He quickly changed boxers before throwing on the suit. He walked over to his full length mirror to inspect his image, straightening his tie. He looked good, he had to admit—which really wasn't hard for him to do— and getting up this early, getting dressed in a suit almost reminded him of his old army days. It wasn't that hard of a stretch considering all the rules and regulations that the office had, and the chain of command, and topped with the stiff, shoulder restricting jackets, it reminded Gilbert very much of his military uniform.

Once the tie was on and straight, Gilbert looked at himself once more, smoothing out any wrinkles his jacket might have. Gilbird, sensing that his master was about to leave, flew over and landing lightly in the albino's white-blonde hair. The ex-nation smiled up at his life-long pet and gently stroked his feathers. "Ready for breakfast?" When he received an excited _peep _in reply, the Prussian snickered. "Keseseses! All right, let's see what West's making us today."

Going into the kitchen, Gilbert realized that he and Ludwig hadn't shared a breakfast together—not counting the one yesterday because he had been half asleep then and bored to tears— since before the Second World War had ended. Then with the whole dividing up Germany bit, he had been separated from West, and after their Reunification, Gilbert had decided to step back from the more standard nation life and let his brother do most of the work. In other words, the albino decided that he was too tired to do much of anything anymore, and he decided that he would "retire". Because of this decision, even though he was still part of Germany, Ludwig had been the one that everyone called for when things got to be a mess or they had questions. Gilbert soon became more of a novelty, a second personification that embodied the Old Prussian spirit, the glorious past that no German was willing to let go of.

And so, "Prussia" was still around, in a sense. The people never forgot the greatness of the state that had made their country what it was to that day, and still respected him, even though the lands of Prussia were no longer around. And with the people's respect also came Ludwig's. The blonde also felt more than guilty about everything that he had done, and felt responsible for his brother's lost lands, and so allowed the albino to retire, to relax and basically stop working all together when it came to political affairs. Sure, the younger German would ask advice or opinions from the older, more experienced nation from time to time, but Gilbert really was displaced from the active bureaucratic world now that he lived with Ludwig again. Ludwig was now the bread winner, Gilbert was just basically the stay-at-home bum.

As a result of all this, West was the one that got up early and went to work long before Gilbert even woke up. Sure, the younger brother would always make sure to leave the albino something to eat, leaving a plate in the microwave or something, but never stuck around long enough for Gilbert to actually wake up. But that was okay. Being the older brother, he knew how taxing and demanding the nation job was, and he was actually proud of how good Ludwig was at it, how West became such a powerful and respectable state, even after the terrible destruction of World War II and then being divided.

…Not that he'd ever tell his younger sibling that! Jeez, they'd both probably die of embarrassment! Gilbert was less shy than Ludwig, but he was still German, still had troubles expressing how he really felt. Besides, West probably already knew all this, there was no reason to say any of this out loud.

Lumbering into the kitchen and plunking down into his seat, Gilbert was again greeting with his new sister, Martha Stewart, wearing her frilly pink apron. It was the first time that he could remember seeing Ludwig wear that ridiculous thing and it actually looking _appropriate _for the blonde to be wearing. A gentle smirk came unwittingly to the Prussian's face as he thought about all the household related things Ludwig would probably be doing today since she wasn't going into the office. She was almost like a stay at home wife, or something. Hilarious!

The blonde turned around and frowned at the albino, apparently still pissed at her brother. "What the hell are you smirking about?" she growled.

"Can't I just be happy about the day?" Gilbert asked innocently.

Ludwig raised an eyebrow, suddenly reminding the older nation very much of the strict librarian several blocks away that always yelled at him for bringing in beer and laughing too loudly. Only Ludwig was _ten times _better looking than that old hag. "If you're still pleased about your winning the wrestling game then you can wipe that stupid smile off your face right now."

"But I won!"

"But your still an asshole," she snarled. Gilbert was very interested in seeing that snarl again.

"You know, West," the older German began. "You really need to loosen up. You're way tense and seem to be seriously PMS-ing."

"YOU NEED TO SHUT THE HELL—!"

"You're just turning into a big bitch, West," Gilbert went on, his manner nonchalant as he stared pointedly at his sister's pouting face. Adorable. "I don't want _my _sister to become some harpy donkey she-witch like Hungary."

"I'M YOUR _BROTHER_!"

"Maybe you should go on a run," the albino went on, reaching over to open the can of bird seed for his pet. Gilbird flew out of his master's hair and onto the table as Gilbert spread some on the table, much to Ludwig's annoyance. "Running always seems to calm you down."

At this, the younger sibling sighed heavily, and sat down, knowing that she couldn't make any rational points to Gilbert when he was like this. Yelling never really did get the albino to comply. "I can't," Ludwig's voice held bitterness. "For one, I can't let anyone see a girl just go walking out of this house. Do you know the rumors and vicious lies that would probably occur? And second, _look _at me!"

Gilbert was very much looking at his sister. Even while trying to control his feelings, a part of him just could not deny that he was attracted. Hell, the way she even _sat _there was turning him on, and she wasn't _doing _anything. This was very bad. If he was this focused on her and she wasn't even _trying_…

"My clothes are all too large now," Ludwig was going on. "I mean, I'm _swimming _in these! I had to punch extra holes in my belt yesterday, and it practically wraps around me _twice _now, and all of my shirts are far too large and just hang off of me," she sighed. "I can't wear any shoes because they're _far _too large and I'd more than likely trip and fall should I even attempt to wear them. In other words; I'm a complete mess and can't get out of this house!"

West's very melancholy expression broke Gilbert's heart. She looked so sad and helpless, like the day he had found Ludwig once the Holy Roman Empire had been dissolved. Instinctively, all attraction was pushed aside so that his brotherly side dominated. He got up and sat by his sister, wrapping her in a half hug. Ludwig didn't lean into the hug, apparently not really asking for physical comfort, but nor did she pull away.

"Hey, come on, West!" he tried his best to not look down her shirt and focus on being a brother. "It's not _so _bad."

"I really had hoped that I'd just…you know, change back over night, last night. But no," her tone dripped with acrimony. "I wake up and I'm still this weak, pathetic…_girl_."

Gilbert honestly didn't know what to say to that. Usually, if his sibling was down, he'd just try, in all of his worldly wisdom, to help Ludwig by telling about his own experiences in life, or similar situations he'd found himself in. This time, however, Gilbert had _no _frame of reference, and none of his experiences could even come _close _to what the blonde was going through. What was he supposed to say to that?

"Hey, it's okay. We'll figure out what to do, West." No real response. It was time to pull out the ego-stroke. "You'll figure this out. You _are _the smartest person in the world."

This was given a response, not the one the albino had been hoping for, but one none the less. She snorted. "Right. If I was so smart, I'd've figured this out by now," she muttered.

"This is a big mystery, West. You can't expect to figure it all out in a day." This was something Gilbert did know from experience. "These sort of strange mysteries take time to figure out."

"Sometimes years," Ludwig agreed.

"Right!" Gilbert smiled brightly, squeezing his sister's shoulder gently. "It just takes some time, West."

"I DON'T _HAVE _YEARS, GILBERT!"

Jumping from the sheer volume being blasted into his ear, Gilbert relinquished his hold on Ludwig. "_Gott_, West! Trying to blow out my eardrum?" he winced.

"What am I going to do?" Ludwig apparently didn't hear her brother, as she was up and pacing. "I can't let anyone see me like this, but I can't not keep going to work! What if the country goes into a full on panic once I don't show up after a while? What if the other countries become suspicious and try to take over because I'm not around? France, that bastard, would probably try and get his hands on the Rhine again. I can't let that happen! Ugh, and then there's Denmark, he'll—"

"West!" Gilbert shouted, grabbing his sister's shoulders, stopping her dead in her tracks. "You're freaking out," he said gently. "You need to get a grip and calm down."

"But how can I be calm, it—?"

"West," the Prussian said more forcefully. "Everything's going to be all right. No one's going to invade Germany, all right? Things aren't like that anymore, remember?"

"I know…But—!"

"No buts," the albino shook his head negatively. "Everything's going to be fine. I'll just keep going to work at the office, bring you home some work as well so you can still know what's going on, and while I'm at the office, you can stay here and keep trying to figure out what's happened. Okay?"

The blonde appeared significantly calmer now, but she still looked worried. "Okay," she sighed. "But how long do you think everyone will accept me just not coming in? They're bound to get suspicious. If not other nations, then our own people. I haven't taken a day off in _years_."

"Hey, don't worry about it!" Gilbert smiled brightly, trying his best to keep his sister from freaking again. "We'll figure it out when we get to that point. But for now, why don't you tell me about what I'm supposed to do today…and check on our breakfast."

"The eggs!" Ludwig jumped up and rushed over to the stove, fussing over it just like how Gilbert always imagined a housewife would.

The Prussian couldn't help but smile again as he watched his sister fondly. As a man, Ludwig had always been an eye catcher: tall, muscular, smart, and—from what he had heard from gushing females— "sinfully" good looking. But Gilbert had the rare opportunity of seeing what his brother would be like as a woman. When Ludwig was a man, the albino saw how great his brother was, but as a woman…well, Gilbert felt like he understood why all the girls had fawned over his brother. Now that West was a girl, Gilbert could finally appreciate Ludwig's body _so _much more. She was stunning, her blonde hair and icy blue eyes suddenly seemed so much brighter and appealing now, shining out of that killer body of hers. But the greatest part was West was still the smart, lovable grump that he'd always adored, except now it all seemed…different.

He was snapped back into reality when West dumped the water out of the pot, and set out the steaming boiled eggs. He smiled up at her again as they eat ate in silence. When it looked as though she wasn't going to eat much, he decided that they better begin preparations for the day.

"So, what exactly am I supposed to do again?"

Ludwig sighed.

**oOoOoOo**

From up in Heaven, Germania frowned. Ever since he had found out what Rome had done to his grandson, he had been watching over Germany like a hawk. The whole situation reeked of absurdity and the blonde former nation couldn't help but wince in sympathy at his grandson's plight. The poor boy was certainly not taking the situation very well, and who could? It was certainly a shock to wake up one morning a different gender.

The day before had been truly nail-biting, so to speak, for Germania. It was one thing to get the shock of his afterlife that his grandson and heir was now a woman, but it nearly _killed _him when Rome's no good little pansy of a grandson, Veneziano, had randomly gone to Germany's house. Why the hell did that kid just decide to go over? Germania had asked (accused) Rome if he had had anything to do with it, but the other empire had just held up his hands innocently. "I had nothing to do with this, my friend."

_Right, _Germania snorted. _And I'm in love with St. Paul. _Rome had always been a liar, but the problem was, he had never been a very _good _liar. The blonde could sniff out his brunette companion's fib a mile away. But since he had no proof Rome had done anything, and since Germany ended up safe and no one saw him, Germania didn't act upon his first instinct to gut Rome like the dog he was.

But even though Germany had managed to stay safe, Germania knew that the boy's hiding could not last forever if he was _ever _going to return to normal. The whole point of this bet was to prove that Germany would never fall in love with Italy Veneziano. Hiding from Veneziano was a point in Germania's favor, clearly showing that Germany wanted nothing to do with the other nation, but Rome had not been convinced with the evidence. They had to _interact _with one another, to show, without a shadow of a doubt, that the two would never fall in love, and while Germania could not blame his grandson's instinct to cover up what had happened to him, the grandfather knew that in order to ultimately save the boy, he had to be exposed.

So, with a sigh, Germania settled in to watch. The longer Germany tried to fight the system, the longer he would be a woman. It was frustrating really, and the former empire wished he could help guide his grandson, but that was against the rules. No one could lead the players one way or the other…even though the blonde was _certain _Rome had somehow cheated, why else would Veneziano suddenly just go to Germany? But it didn't matter, Germania wasn't about to cheat and risk his grandson's sanity—what little was probably left— and Rome knew that. _Damn him! _

But as the Germanic nation watched out over Germany, he couldn't help but also notice the Prussian. The other boy was acting…quite strangely. True, the man Gilbert had looked on like a brother was now a woman, but even that couldn't quite explain his reactions to Ludwig now. There was something going on in the albino's mind, something that was causing him to behave oddly.

Over the years, even when Germania was still living, he had always noticed how sneering and rather wild the albino he had taken in was. Gilbert had a wicked sense of humor, even to those who he cared about. That boy was iron strong and was not afraid to get dirty. At one time, Prussia had been one of the strongest military states in all of Europe, a fact that Germania was quite proud of. It seemed everyone wanted a German officer or commander in their army, and would gladly fight over who could get their hands on a Prussian. And because of this strict, military like attitude, along with his rather cynical nature, Gilbert was not the sort to show much feeling, or at least his real feelings.

The only time Germania had ever seen the boy soften was when he was around Ludwig. The old nation knew that it was probably because he had told Prussia to watch over his grandson as payment for introducing him into Germania's family. Another reason, perhaps, was that Gilbert really had formed a liking to the child, making it easier to uphold his promise. But all soft feelings and gentleness had gone away almost completely when Ludwig grew into a man. Prussia had wasted no time into turning his charge into iron, just like him. All tenderness between the two had basically come to an end.

And yet now, Germania saw gentleness coming back into the albino's manner when around Ludwig now. It was not a steady stream of gushing emotions, but there were moments when the Prussian flickered into these softer states when talking to his sibling now. It worried the older blonde, frankly, these moments of consoling tenderness.

True, Germania was pleased there was someone there for Ludwig in his hour of confusion and need, but at the same time, he was not sure that he liked it. Brotherly affection and caring was one thing, but the Prussian did not seem to be thinking much about "brotherly" love now. Germania could see clearly that Gilbert's manner towards Ludwig now were much too tender, as though he were acting more like a suitor trying to comfort his distressed lady. These moments never lasted long, but they still _occurred _and that was not something Germania liked, even if Gilbert himself thought these moments were derived from a brotherly gesture.

But what concerned the old Germanic nation the most was the _way_ the albino looked at Ludwig now. It was like dangling a fresh piece of meat in front of the wolves. Prussia had always been a nation that was known for "seizing vital regions" both as a nation and as a man. Gilbert liked his women like he liked a challenge; difficult and hard to get. A fight was always appreciated by the albino, and the harder the target, the more he wanted it, and Ludwig would definitely be a prize to obtain.

Germania's first instinct was to scoff; what was the boy thinking? Ludwig was a man! But the more he thought about it, the more he couldn't quite blame the single-minded Prussian. After all, Ludwig did make a rather lovely woman, and had actually turned out to be quite feminine looking and have a pretty figure. And since "she" was really a "he," Germany could sympathize with men, knowing their wants and needs, and still retained a logical, intellectual mind. Yes, to any man who didn't know Ludwig, he would be quite the trophy. It really was only logical that Gilbert wanted to win his sibling over before anyone else, to get in on the game of winning the fair lady's heart...

And that's when it hit Germania, like a brick wall; Gilbert was not just playing a game here; he was falling in love with Ludwig! No, perhaps it wasn't that extreme, the albino could just be lusting after the younger blonde, but in his heart, Germania knew that was a lie. The two of them, Germany and Prussia, had always gotten along quite well, with only the usual sibling squabbles and bickering. Prussia, while he had raised Germany in the strictest sense, hadn't really had much to do with the other, being constantly busy making plans, until his own plans came to fruition and the German Empire was created. From then on, the two became close, more like best friends that acted like brothers rather than brothers that acted like best friends, their histories from then on forever intertwined.

Now, since the two were close, nearly completely bonded since the fall of the Berlin Wall, it was not so impossible to think of the two being drawn closer together. Germania knew Ludwig was scared to lose his brother since Prussia was official dissolved, while Gilbert was afraid to leave his brother alone since Germany's allies in the past had never really been that loyal. The two needed each other, they made up one country, and it was then that Germania realized that with this need of the other, a romance might very likely sprout now that Ludwig was a woman.

It was dizzying, thinking of this possibility, and Germania wasn't so sure he liked this. Had things been different, had one of them actually been a female naturally, he might very well have embraced this very idea as a way of keeping his family close and together, having his adoptive grandchild marry into his blood, but Ludwig was _not _a woman, and Germania had been quite proud of the man the younger blonde had become. What would happen to them should something form between them and Ludwig turn back into a man? It would be a heavy blow to each, not to mention confusing.

The bet said nothing about Ludwig falling in love with anyone else, just with Veneziano. The rules had been clearly stated; Ludwig would either fall in love with Feliciano or turn back into a man, all of this was to occur with no help from _any _outside influences. That was it.

Germania sighed, shaking his head sadly. What the hell had Rome done? Was the brunette so inconsiderate that he truly did not think of what would happen should Prussia, or another nation for that matter, fall in love with the newly gendered German? Of course he hadn't! This was the Roman Empire, the man that had it all, but due to his carelessness and selfishness, became hallow and ended up losing it all in the end. Of _course _he wouldn't think of others before making such a bet.

_Rome, what the _hell _did you do? _

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I am going insane, I'm afraid. So, besides having Gilbert just become attracted, I have him wrestling Ludwig out of bed… Yeah. Ah, and I hope you liked Germania's thoughts. He needs to be in more stories. But next up you'll see more characters I think. ^^ Germany's secret will be out soon. :P

The bit about everyone wanting a Prussian office is actual fact. Everyone in Europe seemed to want a German office from 1700-1800s. Just, you know, fyi. I tend to sprinkle in historical facts, in case you haven't noticed. ^^ Again, PLEASE REVIEW! I love each and every one of you who do…and, admittedly, anyone who reads this. Thanks everyone! :D


	5. Chapter 4: Good News, Bad News, Lingerie

**Chapter Four: Good News, Bad News, and Lingerie**

Once Gilbert was away, Ludwig found himself alone in the house again, just like the day before. Granted, he still had the dogs to keep him company, but there was only so much a dog could do when you talked to it, and to keep what precious little sanity he still had, Germany decided that talking to animals was not something he should start, and instead, went back to his office to do some work. There was still some paper work Gilbert had brought home the night before that needed to be finished, and he could still research reasons as to why he would suddenly turn into a woman.

Sighing, the blonde went back into the kitchen to finish washing the dishes before getting started on the paper work. As he washed the dishes, Ludwig couldn't help but stare longingly out the window. He hadn't stepped one foot outside in over twenty-four hours. That was unheard of for the active German. Looking about the kitchen, it almost made him claustrophobic. But turning back to the matter at hand, he worked until the dishes were washed, before turning to go to his office. Strangely, his office never made him feel quite so claustrophobic…

Closing the door to the office, Ludwig sighed and slumped down into his chair. The large window that sat behind his desk only made the German pine for the outdoors even more. He hated being stuck inside! Already he had wanted to take a trip out into the mountains, maybe visit Switzerland and Liechtenstein, but now that he had _nothing _else to really do, he wanted to get away _that _much more.

Groaning, the nation turned back around towards his desk and pulled out all of the documents that had been left for him to read through. It didn't take nearly as long as Germany would have liked, and too soon it was done, and he was once again forced to get on his computer to pour through millions of accounts of worthless stories of people turning into animals, or being abducted by aliens in pursuit of finding a story about a man turning into a woman. Of course he also got sites advertising the things men and women liked most about each other, or strangely enough, a few porn sites popped up, but he ignored those.

There were some movies that popped up, mostly from America, that the plots were men turning into women, but the reasoning behind them were very vague and cliché and nothing Ludwig hadn't thought of already. Still, he read through the basic plot of each of them, but nothing serious was to be had of it, like most of America's movies. And in the end, after hours of pouring through story after story, blog after blog, the blonde came up empty handed yet again. Why had this happened? What could be the reason?

In the end, Germany just made diagrams of recent events to try and outline anything he could have done that would cause him to change. He made note of anything specific he'd heard about in the news, but thus far, nothing too significant came to mind. And like his search, in the end, Ludwig couldn't think of a single logical reason as to why he suddenly changed. It was almost like God had one night just decided that Germany should be a woman now. Strange.

So the rest of the German's day was filled with cleaning and reading. There was no paperwork to be done anymore, and research was getting more and more depressing. At eleven o'clock, Ludwig kept a sharp eye out for Italy should the boy randomly return, but the Italian never came. And so in the afternoon the blonde was forced to reorganize the pantry twice and then move on to all the DVDs and CDs and all the books to make sure everything was in alphabetical order. But by the time that was all finished, it was still only two o'clock in the afternoon. For the first time in his life, Ludwig cursed himself for being so efficient. He _had _to find something else to do!

Eventually the German found himself in the kitchen once again pulling out eggs and flour. In a last ditch attempt to be productive, Ludwig found himself baking up a storm. He was actually relaxing, baking cakes and different flavors of bread. The next time he looked at the clock it was almost five-thirty and already he had made several cakes, a loaf of banana bread, soft pretzels, apple strudel, and was just putting cookies into the oven. Not a minute later, the front door came crashing open. "West! I've…_Gott_ what's that _awesome_ smell?"

_And here we go, _Ludwig rolled his eyes, but finished placing the cookies in. After straightening up, he turned to find his brother standing in the door way, arms weighed down by two cases of beer, tie pulled down, and shirt half untucked. The albino's snowy hair looked disheveled, and his red eyes were looking around the kitchen hungrily. "Been busy today, West?" Gilbert asked with a smirk.

"Fairly," Ludwig replied calmly. Gilbert always made fun of him when he baked, and the blonde was just waiting for the torment to begin.

Instead, the albino smirked again, placed the two cases of beer on the table and sat down. "Smells great! Can I eat some of the _apfel strudel_?"

For a moment, Germany wasn't sure if his brother was being facetious or not, but after a minute, the blonde decided that the request was sincere, and nodded. Turning back to the counter, Ludwig cut into the strudel, and gave his brother a rather generous portion. It was Gilbert's favorite, after all.

When he turned back around, he found Gilbert already busting out a beer from the new case, and opening it eagerly. When Ludwig set down the strudel in front of the albino, the Prussian all but attacked it. The blonde watched as the other shoved a rather large piece of dessert into the gaping hole that passed for a mouth, and watched as red eyes closed in contentment.

"_Gott_! Your strudel is the _best_, West!" Gilbert sighed before taking a drink of beer. "I really needed this."

Sitting down across from his brother, the younger German looked at the albino critically. "So, does that mean work didn't go so well?"

Gilbert stopped for a moment, fork halfway to his mouth, as he stared at Ludwig. It made the blonde a little nervous, but when the albino shrugged and shoved the strudel into his mouth anyway, Germany felt some apprehension leave. "Uh gaht sum gut nus an ba nus."

Ludwig made a disgusted face. "Don't talk with your mouth full," he growled.

The Prussian merely smirked, showing off all the half chewed strudel that was still lodging in his mouth, before swallowing, chasing it down with another drink of beer. Once he was done, Gilbert seemed to straighten up, almost like giving a report. "Well, I've got some good news and bad news."

"Shit." Ludwig slid down in his chair.

Gilbert actually looked a bit sympathetic, which didn't make Ludwig feel any better. "Well, okay. The bad news. Well, that meeting in several months with Italy has been changed to be held the day after next," Gilbert rubbed the back of his neck.

"WHAT?" Ludwig shot up, blue eyes wide. "They rescheduled that? Why? That means that tomorrow—"

"Yeah, tomorrow we're going to have to leave," Gilbert finished.

"Fuck," the blonde slammer his head into the table top, not worrying about looking childish. This was bad. This was more than bad, this was terrible! Was the world really against him so much?

"Yeah…ready for the worse news?"

"_Worse _news?" Ludwig sat up, staring at his brother incredulously. "I thought you said there was good news and bad news?"

The albino rubbed the back of his beck awkwardly. "Yeah…well, I thought I'd get the worse news before the good. I, uh, figured out why Veneziano must have come over yesterday…Seems that not only the day of the meeting has been changed, but the location as well."

Dread slowly started to fill in the pit of Ludwig's stomach. "Please. _Bitte_, don't tell me that it's—"

"It's been moved into Italy Romano," Gilbert confirmed.

"Damn!" the blonde thumped his head back into the table. "As if I'm not under enough stress!"

"But there is some good news!" Gilbert interjected.

Taking several deep breaths, Ludwig picked up his head and calmly turned towards his brother. "All right. What is it?"

Smiling self-confidently, the albino held up his beer in a sort of cheer. "Beer was buy one, get one half off!"

Eye twitching, Ludwig slapped his brother's shoulder as hard as he could. "You asshole!" he shrieked.

"Wait wait wait!" Gilbert held up his hands in defense. "There's better news too."

Germany sighed. So there was bad news, worse news, good news, and better news? There were times when Ludwig couldn't honestly believe that he and the Prussian were actually related. "Then what's the _better _news," the blonde sighed again.

"Okay, so you know how we're in Italy for two days for negotiations? Well, England's flying in as well," the former nation explained.

"England?" Germany perked up at this news.

"Yeah, he's going there for several trade meetings as well, and he's going to be landing the second night that we're there. So I figured that while I'm doing all the boring nation stuff, you could go and talk to England about your little…predicament."

Ludwig sat there a moment, a little stunned. "Gilbert, that's brilliant," the blonde said bluntly, actually amazed that his head-in-the-clouds brother had actually gotten over himself for a moment to think of a logical plan. The albino hadn't done something like that for a while now, and it was really refreshing to see.

The moment was ruined, however, when Gilbert started to laugh. "Of course it is, West! Did you honestly expect anything less from the awesome me?"

The younger German rolled his eyes, deciding that the idea wasn't all that good after all. "Right," he said. "So how, in your amazing plan, do you get me a last minute ticket on a plan with you to Italy? You can't just go about with a strange woman!"

"I figured we could just drive to Italy."

"Drive?" Ludwig stared at his brother dubiously.

"Yeah. I already canceled the plan tickets and I can probably talk you across the border better than I could on the plane," the Prussian explained.

"And how exactly are you going to do that?" Ludwig asked skeptically.

When the albino pulled back his lips in a vicious looking smile, Ludwig knew he wasn't going to like the answer. "You'll pose as my totally hot and sexily awesome secretary."

The two siblings sat staring at each other for a moment. "No," the blonde stated firmly.

"But it'll work!" Gilbert argued.

"_Nein_," the younger growled.

"Ludwig, you're being unreasonable!" the Prussian exclaimed. "I've been busting my ass for you since all of this shit happened; been doing office work, giving presentations and listening to old boring bureaucrats all the time, and getting yelled at by the boss twenty-four seven!"

"This hasn't been easier on me,_ East!_" Germany screamed right back, standing up. "My whole fucking _life's _been turned upside down!"

"Then sit the hell down," Gilbert yelled, face turning a rather lovely shade of scarlet to match his eyes. "The reason why I've been putting up with all this shit is to help _you_, you prissy little bitch! If you want this to be fixed, you need to let people help you, and that includes me! So don't shoot down all of my ideas when I've been working hard to help! Let's see you come up with something!"

Although he knew he had been a little harsh with his brother, Ludwig still couldn't help it. He knew Gilbert was trying to help, in fact, the younger German was very grateful for all that his brother was doing for him in his time of… perplexity, but there was fact that Gilbert was insensitive and total ass most of the time about all this. The albino was the oddest person Ludwig had even met in his life. Gilbert was the only person who could be so caring, but do it in a way that made you feel like crap and make you hate him even though he was being supportive.

So, with that in mind, realizing that his big brother was actually trying to be caring but was going about it in a rather distasteful manner, Ludwig took several deep breaths. Still standing, leaning over the table with his hands flat, the blonde took several deep breaths. "Okay. Look, Gilbert. I really do see what you're doing for me. I do. And I…appreciate it," the German admitted, face turning pink at the confession. "But the manner in which you say things..." Ludwig just left it at that, shaking his head.

The albino had the good graces to look thoughtful before nodding once. "So, do you have any ideas of your own?"

And that was usually how arguments between the two went. One would scream, then the other, back and forth before one decided to semi-admit that they were offended with something the other had said or done, while the other thought it over before acknowledging that he had understood the other side, and they moved on. There really was no saying that they forgave the other, but was just assumed, and they moved on with their lives. So, now that their spat was out of the way, the two decided to leave their pettiness behind and actually out their heads together to form a plan.

At last, the blonde sat down with a defeated sigh. "No," Ludwig admitted. "Your plan…actually sounds like the best."

Seeing his brother's face contort into that smug expression just made Ludwig sick to his stomach, but he couldn't really do anything about it. "Awesome," the older man smirked. "So, okay. Here's what we're going to do. We need to get you some really sexy—"

"East," the blonde growled.

"—okay, okay. We'll get you some suitable secretary clothes," the Prussian continued with only the slightest pout.

"All right…but I'll need…women's clothing," Ludwig blushed brilliantly at the thought. _Him _in women's clothes? The thought was horrifying, but that's what had to be done. Besides, it wasn't like he was dressing drag or anything.

Gilbert was silent for a moment, like he hadn't really thought about actually where he would _get _Ludwig the secretary clothes. "Uh…right," he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I guess we need to get you some clothes right? Well…Feli still has some of his clothes here. He's small enough that you might fit in some of his things maybe?"

Ludwig looked at his brother skeptically. "I suppose that I could try them on."

Standing up, the two sibling walked towards the guest bedroom that housed all of the left over belongs from the two Italian brothers, mostly Feli's stuff, that they had forgotten whenever they stayed over. Not that Lovino stayed all that often, just usually whenever Feliciano tricked him, or he didn't want to stay in a hotel room or something. Feliciano, on the other hand, came over frequently and constantly left things behind. Eventually the two Germans ended up calling the spare room "Feli's Room", and whenever the ditzy Italian forgot something, they'd put it in there.

"Okay, so I'll try on some things and then let you know how it goes," Ludwig said, a bit apprehensive about putting on the usually smaller man's clothes. But if their plan was going to have any chance at working, he needed clothes that fit him better.

Gilbert merely nodded, leaning against the wall, as Ludwig went in and closed the door behind him. Taking a deep breath, the blond turned and looked through some of the clothes that might be able to pass as secretary's clothes…or at least when sitting in a car. After that, it didn't really matter because he wouldn't be attending any of the meetings anyway.

First the blonde turned to white button-up shirt and some black, pin striped pants that Veneziano had left. Ludwig felt a little bad about using the other man's clothes without asking permission, but desperate times called for desperate measures. And so, Ludwig pulled off his own, _way _too baggy shirt, to put on the other.

When he looked down at his chest, the blonde couldn't help but stare for a moment. He'd been trying to forget quite ardently that he was a woman now, but there were times— like this— that he just couldn't deny it. And as he stared at his new chest, Ludwig decided that maybe breasts really weren't all that great. He used to love them, but now they just seemed a little…anticlimactic, or something. It was a little disappointing really.

So, in an attempt not to weird himself out again—like he did every time he had to use the bathroom, now _that _was weird!— the German pulled on the shirt and buttoned it quickly. He was almost instantly dismayed over how…busty he looked. It was almost like looking at a bad stripper or something. As he looked in the mirror, his chest was almost bursting through the shirt. It was too tight in the chest but the middle fit all right. Trying not to psyche himself out, Ludwig pulled down his pants and tried on the Italian's.

If the shirt was too small, the pants were right out. There was no _way _Ludwig could squeeze his new hips into the narrow Italian's tight pants. He couldn't even pull them halfway, they just did not fit. "Shit," Ludwig sighed.

Now what was he going to do?

**oOoOoOo**

Gilbert waited as patiently as he could for his sister to come out and show him the outfit of Feliciano's, but it seemed the blonde wasn't going to make an appearance anytime soon. Apparently if you turned into a girl over night, you no longer had the ability that all men possessed in getting ready in under five minutes. "Come _on, _West! In this century please."

After another minute or so, Ludwig came out in the clothes that she had been wearing only a few moments ago. Her face was a bit red, and she held a piece of paper in her hand out to him. "New plan," the blonde said. "Here are my new measurements. Take these, withdraw come _bills_, wear a disguise, and go out and buy me an outfit or something."

"An outfit?" the albino frowned. "What about using Feliciano's clothes?"

The younger German sighed, looking irritated. "They don't fit."

"Well, you can take them in, can't you? Surely Feli's not _that _much bigger than you," Gilbert reasoned.

He almost laughed when he saw his sister roll her eyes, liking seeing the sassy spark in those beautiful blues. "No you idiot, they're too _small_. Apparently I'm still bigger than Feliciano is."

The albino was silent for a moment before he burst out laughing. "Seriously?" he cackled. "Damn, that guy is _tiny_!"

"Apparently," Ludwig agreed drily. "Now, take those measurements and go out and get me an outfit. Use cash so no one checks through our credit and realized that East and West Germany have gone and bought women's clothes for some strange reason."

"Right," Gilbert nodded. "I'll go get my fake contacts and my hoodie."

Excited about going on a "secret mission" again, the Prussian was very willing to do as his sister asked. He kept a lot of costume-sque type things around since he and Francis and Antonio still liked to go out to the bars and pull pranks on people. So once he had gotten everything he needed, he ran back up the stairs to find his sister waiting for him at the door.

"Okay. Just remember, buy me some nice pants, and a shirt and…" here the blonde blushed. "Some…necessary… under garments," she choked out, "and come back home. And DO NOT buy me anything inappropriate!"

The older brother pouted. "You really do take all the fun out of life, don't you, West?"

"Gilbert," the blonde sighed. "I'm counting on you. _Please_. I don't want to end up looking like a fool again. I don't want my reputation ruined."

Knowing that his sister really had been through a lot already, the albino relented. "Don't worry so much, West. The awesome that is me is here to help. I won't let you down."

The blonde actually gave him a small smile. It made the albino feel rather warm and pleasant inside. "Thanks, East."

Trying to combat a blush, Gilbert smirked, hoping the other didn't sense just how much he wanted to hug her for those words. "Yeah well…hey, but if there is a sale going on in one of those fancy lingerie shops, I might just have to go buy you something special."

"Fuck off," the girl growled, face a brilliant shade of pink, causing the Prussian to cackle loudly.

"See ya soon, _Westen_!" And with that, Gilbert was on his way.

He stopped buy the bank first and withdrew money. He knew from having watched enough T.V. and movies in his life that women's clothes were expensive, and so withdrew a _lot _of bills. After he was done at the bank, he pulled on his hoodie and put in his fake contacts that made his eyes look a weird shade of blue once he was in the car. (His eyes ended up actually looking a bit purplish, but he refused to say that since he _hated _purple eyes forever now thanks to both Austria and especially Russia). And once he pulled up his hood to hide not only his platinum hair, but Gilbird as well, he drove to the mall.

"Okay, you ready for this buddy?" he asked Gilbird. He received a peep in return. "Keseseses! All right then. Let's do this!"

Once in the mall, Gilbert walked around until he found a store that looked like it had a lot of fancy women's clothes. Since Ludwig was going to be playing the part of the secretary, she would probably want a fancier outfit from here, right? It actually looked like it had all types of women's clothes, from business to sports, so he stopped in there first. Walking through the threshold of that store was like walking into a whole other world.

He had never been in an all women's clothing store before, never had the need, but he soon felt very awkward. All kinds of women were looking at him oddly, as though he were some sort of freak, while others glared, apparently not too impressed with his attire. He was in enemy territory now, and just when he was about to make his retreat and come up with a better battle plan, a sharply dressed looking woman came his way. "Can I help you, sir?" she asked.

Clearing his throat, Gilbert nodded once. "_Ja_. You see, I'm here for my sister. She just arrived here today for business meetings tomorrow and the rest of the week and all of her luggage was lost. She had to go make some other arrangements for everything so she couldn't come in herself, but she gave me her measurements and asked if I could get her some new clothes."

All the women there seemed enthralled with the tale, and most even looked sad. "That is unfortunate," the woman that was helping him— Ute, her name tag read— looked sympathetic. "Here, let me see the measurements."

Gilbert willingly handed them over and soon the woman rushed him around the store. "Your sister, what complexion is she?" Ute asked out of the blue.

"Uh…pale?" the albino took a stab at it. Why on _earth _would they want to know something like _that_?

"As pale as you?"

"Uh, no…umm…like, you know. Fair? I guess," Gilbert tried to explain it, but he wasn't so good at the whole complexion description thing. He could come up with lies on the spot, but he was horrible with this sort of thing.

"What's her hair and eye color?" Ute asked instead.

"Blonde and blue," Gilbert replied instantly.

"Dark blonde or light?"

"Well…" a picture of Ludwig popped into his mind and the albino couldn't help but smile gently. "Pale gold. Her eyes are really icy blue."

Ute nodded, looking pleased to have finally got more accurate answers. "All right. Good. So, let's see… She's rather tall, isn't she?"

"Yes," Gilbert nodded.

"Okay. How about this?" the sales women held up a black skirt with a pale blue blouse with ruffles down the middle. "It's more causal business, but it can be dressy."

Not really knowing much about clothes, the Prussian found himself nodding. "Looks good…?"

"But does this look like something your sister would wear?" Ute pressed.

"Yeah!... Sure." Ludwig was probably going to kill him for this.

"Good. Now we've got one outfit ready," Ute looked quite pleased.

And so Gilbert went on with Ute on the magical whirlwind adventure of clothes shopping. Honestly, he had _no _idea what all Ludwig would need for this trip as a woman now, and while he was commissioned to pick out _one _outfit, the albino found himself helping pick out a new wardrobe for his sister.

At first, not wanting to spend a lot of money, Gilbert just wanted to get a few things and go, but then he started to think: what if Ludwig never turned back into a man again? What if West was stuck as a woman forever? He couldn't just have _one _outfit! And so he allowed Ute, and eventually some of the other women as well, to help him pick out a lot of clothes, shoes, and even some jewelry. Gilbert himself picked out a sun hat and sun glasses for his sister, because let's face it, they _were _going to Italy, and he thought it would look totally kickass!

While most of it was actually pretty boring for the nation, he did manage to make all the women laugh, and flirted around a bit. A lot of the ladies were older, but he still liked to tease, wanting to be the high light of their day. But when it came to the whole bras and panty shopping, he told them that it was all in their hands. He was a bit embarrassed to look at those things while with women in their fifties. That was just weird.

By the time they were all finished, Gilbert had amassed a rather substantial amount of things for Ludwig. He had gotten her dress pants and shirts, skirts, some dresses, some more casual clothes, and sweats, and different types of shoes. He was quite pleased with himself, when he realized he probably didn't have enough cash for everything. He quickly excused himself for a moment, ran out, withdrew some more, before running back and paying a small fortune for it all. It was expensive, but West probably wasn't going to buy anything else like this for a _long _time, and it was all probably needed anyway, just in case. Ludwig would use it so he didn't feel so bad about buying so much.

Once he collected all of his bags, his arms were weighted down and he was quite certain that had he not been a nation, he wouldn't have been able to lift all this. "Well, thanks a lot, ladies," he smirked. "It's been a pleasure."

"Oh, not at all," Ute waved him off while several of the younger staff—and quite a bit of the older ones too— all waved goodbye to him, winking and sending him their best charming smiles. "Tell your sister that I hope everything turns out well for her."

"I will!" Gilbert called. "Bye!"

Happy with his success, Gilbert went to the car and loaded it up with all of his purchases. He was about to get in himself when he thought about a new game he had seen advertized a week or so ago. Wondering if it was out yet, he wandered back inside to check at a gaming store. It turned out that it wasn't out yet, but as he was walking back, his eye caught something in a store window. He had never been in that store, even though he had always desperately wanted to go, and before he could stop himself, Gilbert found himself wandering in.

Just like he had teased his sister before he had left, the albino found himself in a lingerie store, looking at all the sales tags. He stared in wide-eyed wonder at all of the bras and panties and naughty little outfits that littered the store. He knew he shouldn't be in there, that Ludwig would _kill _him if she ever found out that he'd gone into one of these, but Gilbert found himself rooted in place, unable— and _unwilling_— to go.

"Can I help you?"

Turning around, Gilbert found himself face to face with a rather interesting looking man. Just by looking at the other, the albino knew right away that the store worker was gay. Gilbert bit his lip, trying not to say anything inappropriate, like asking him _why _he was working in a women's lingerie store, found himself nodding. "Yes."

The other man, Lars, looked absolutely delighted. "Oh good! What can I do for you, sir? Present for a girlfriend?"

"Yeah, something like that," Gilbert smirked. "Though I'm not sure what exactly to get her."

_Stop now, Gilbert, stop now and get out! _He yelled at himself. _Ludwig is not only your sister, but a man! _But even though the one part of himself screamed "no", the other screamed louder, giving him the "go for it!" queue.

"Oh, how cute!" Lars gushed. "Don't worry, this happens all the time. Do you know her size?"

"Uh…I have her measurements," Gilbert handed him the paper. "I guess she's a…D cup?" He had heard the ladies in the other store say that when they were looking at the bras.

Lars looked at the measurements and smiled. "Yes she is. Okay, this should be pretty easy. Just tell me what she likes…or rather, what you like." He laughed as though he had told some sort of funny joke. Gilbert tried to smile, though he felt a bit uncomfortable laughing about his sister with a gay guy.

"Wes—Well," the albino tried to cover his almost slip. "She likes leather…She always did like the riding crop," he commented thoughtfully, remembering one of Ludwig's favorite "adult movies".

The other man looked a bit horrified before nodding, trying to plaster on another smile. "Right. Well, we don't really have _those _kinds of outfits here."

"Really?" Gilbert looked surprised. "Weird. Okay then…Hey! You got any of those slutty French maid outfits? Oh! Or those Bavarian ones? She'd look awesome in that!"

Lars seemed suddenly more excited, and giggled along with Gilbert. "Oh course! Let me show you all we have in stock!"

And even though it was a little weird looking at lingerie with another guy that wasn't even interested in women, with the intent of buying said lingerie for his sister, Gilbert managed to have a better time there then when he had been buying normal clothes for West. Even though he had gotten to flirt around in the other store—something he _dare _not do now since Lars was the only one helping him—just thinking about West in any of this stuff really did turn Gilbert on. He loved to think of just how she would blush when she saw what he'd picked out for her. It would be _awesome_!

In the end, however, Gilbert didn't get a French maid outfit of the Bavarian beer garden girl, and instead went with something a little more classic at Lars's insistence. Instead, the Prussian ended up buying a simple, but elegant, black lace corset with a matching thong and hose. And, with Lars's encouragement, he also got tall heeled back shoes to match. It was a classic outfit, but one that would get results, no doubt.

"Okay," Lars grinned once they were up at the register. "And because you have never shopped here before, I can give you a discount if you sign up for our store's membership."

The albino thought long and hard. "Will we get a magazine every month or something?"

"Yes," Lars nodded. "And, if you want, we can send e-mails to you when we have sales."

"Sign me up!" Gilbert laughed. He knew Ludwig would hate him, but damn, the nation just wanted to look at the girls in the magazine if nothing else! "Oh! And hey, remember you said that those hose and shoes were on sale?"

"Of course!" the salesmen beamed before giving Gilbert his total.

"Kesesese!" the albino snickered once he paid and gave a false name and his address to receive the magazine. "Thanks a lot man, for all your help."

"Oh, it is no trouble," Lars smiled. "I hope you and your girl friend have a wonderful evening together." He winked.

Gilbert grinned before waving. That had been a highly successful venture! Not only had he _finally _filled his curiosity of going into an actual lingerie shop, but he had actually _bought _some! That was just too awesome for words! He couldn't wait to get home!

…But then again, it wasn't like he was actually ever going to _see _Ludwig in this lingerie. In fact, Gilbert was pretty sure the younger German would have a heart-attack before stabbing him in the throat if he ever presented her this, let alone try and get her to wear it!

"Damnit!" the albino growled as he got in the car. It only just then hit him that he had probably wasted all that money on something Ludwig wouldn't even wear.

And why would she wear it? As far as Ludwig was concerned, they were sibling, brothers still, even! It didn't matter if Gilbert tried charming her, try to win her over, because in the end, she would never be attracted to him. They were just too close. That thought hurt.

But why should he care anyway? He didn't love Ludwig…well, he loved her, but strictly in a plutonic way…Right? Of course he did! He just happened to think that his sister had a hot body. It's not like he was _in _love with her. Maybe he could just give this to her as a prank? Or he could even make someone _else _wear this. It didn't have to be West!

Gilbert debated with himself the whole way home, wondering why he was stupid enough to actually go out and buy lingerie. Ludwig always accused him of not thinking things through, and this was pretty much case and point. When he got home, he stuffed the sexy little getup into his hoodie, while he unloaded the rest of the car. Ludwig opened the door with wide eyes.

"What the hell is all this?" she demanded. "How much did all of this cost?"

"Calm down, West," Gilbert rolled his eyes. "This is just in case you don't change back right away."

The blonde took some of the bags from her brother, and together they carried them up to her room. While Ludwig was unpacking them, Gilbert ran down to his room and dropped off the lingerie while also shedding his sweatshirt and taking out his contacts. When he went back up the stairs to Ludwig's room, he had to laugh at his sister's face.

"I can't wear all this," she groaned. "It all looks so…feminine."

"Sorry to tell you, West, but you _are _feminine now," the albino chuckled. "Get used to it."

"A sun hat?" the blonde held up the huge thing, staring up at him with confused eyes.

"When in Rome, wear a sun hat!" Gilbert laughed before getting fidgety. "Did I do okay? I mean, I think you'd make a _very _convincing women in all that."

The blonde looked thoughtful, staring at all the outfits. "_Ja_," she said almost sadly. "I guess I would."

Again, the two siblings sat a moment in an awkward sort of silence, staring at all the shopping bags filled with women's clothing. It was weird to think that _Ludwig _would be wearing these things. As he stared at all of the bags, Gilbert couldn't help but wonder just how West would look in all this…

"I, uh, save the receipt in case something doesn't fit, or whatever."

"Right," the blonde muttered, still looking a bit put out. "Well…thanks, I guess. Come on, dinner's almost ready."

And so, the two Germans left Ludwig's room, to go eat yet another meal that would probably end up being a silent affair. But that was okay. Gilbert had plenty on his mind, he didn't need conversation at the moment. Besides, he had lingerie to figure out what he'd do with down in his room…

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Here's my day so far: Woke up, had to chase cattle, helped fix fence, had to herd/ chase a donkey all over God's green earth, load the stupid thing, nearly had heat stroke, picked and snapped green beans, went to the dentist, had to fill in on my sister's volleyball team (I don't play volleyball) and we got our butts kicked pretty good.

The bottom line: I hate donkeys now. X( So this chapter goes out to all my fellow farmers out there that have ever had to literally pick up a freakin' donkey to throw the stupid thing into the trailer, or some similar story! What does this have to do with Germany, Prussia, and lingerie? Absolutely nothing. Enjoy anyway. Next Up: Meeting in Italy!

Also, Happy (slightly late) Independence Day to all my fellow Americans! And Happy (slightly later) Canada Day to my neighbors up north! :D To everyone else, hope you all had great weeks so far that weren't filled with donkey herding adventures!


	6. Chapter 5: Dude Looks Like a Lady

**Chapter Five: Dude Looks Like a Lady **

Gilbert stood outside of Ludwig's bedroom, tapping his foot impatiently. Hadn't _Ludwig _been the one lecturing all night long about the importance of leaving early this morning so they could get to Italy in a timely fashion? Well, it was seven-thirty in the morning and Gilbert was ready with his bags packed and all the paperwork secured and loaded in the car, and now _he_ was waiting on a certain blonde.

"_Westen!_" the older German yelled, pounding on the girl's door. "For God's sake, get your ass out here! We need to leave! West! Are you even listening to me?"

He heard some scrambling around the inside of the room, but the door remained firmly locked. He was about to start pounding again, when finally he heard the other answer. "I, ugh, don't think this is going to work, _Bruder_. M-maybe you can just go without me?"

The albino growled low in his throat. He was tired, he was frustrated, and he was absolutely _not _going to be talked into going to this meeting alone! "West, if you don't get your ass out here this _instant_ I'll break down your fucking door!"

"Don't!" the girl on the other side pleaded. "I just…I mean, I don't think this is a good idea anymore."

"Why the hell not?" Gilbert demanded.

There was a long pause in which the other seemed to be thinking through her answer very carefully. Ludwig better have a _damn _good excuse to keep him waiting like this. "I…It's just…I mean… "

While the girl floundered around for an answer—the first time in a _very _long time that Gilbert could remember Ludwig in such a state—the albino lost his patience. "West, if I had to stay up until three this morning to make those fucking fake papers and I.D. for you and you're not even going, I'm going to be _pissed _beyond reason!"

"…You're not already?"

"Ludwig Friedrich Beilschmidt, you move your lazy ass and open this damn door!"

"_Bruder_, I don't have a middle name—"

"Just open the fucking door! You have to the count of three."

"Gilbert!"

"_Eins_!"

"Please, I just don't think—"

"_Zwei_!"

"I really would go, but I just think that it'd be better if—"

"_Drei!_"

"FINE!"

The albino crossed his arms irritably and continued to tap his foot impatiently. He heard all the many locks that Ludwig had on her door—Germany had become quite paranoid, especially since a certain Italian kept finding ways inside the room over the years—being opened. After a moment, Gilbert heard the last one being unlocked, and the door was opened a crack. When the blonde did not open it further, the older German rolled his eyes. Honestly! And people thought _he _was immature.

Pushing open the door without ceremony, Gilbert was prepared to bitch out his younger sibling when the words died on his tongue almost the instant his red eyes saw the girl before him.

Ludwig was standing by the bed looking embarrassed, a charming blush dusting her cheeks pink. The girl's blonde hair was still much the same at it had been the last several days, down, with her bangs hanging close to her eyes, very short for a woman, but in a attractive, pixie looking way. She was finally wearing clothes that fit her new frame consisting of a black skirt that went just to her knees and a light blue blouse that seemed to bring out her eyes perfectly. It took a moment for him to realize that this was one of the specific outfits that he had helped pick out for her.

The jewelry she was wearing consisted of a simple necklace that hung down to her chest, looking just like fishing string with different colors of blue beads every so often, and a few silver bracelets on her left hand. As amazing as it was, Ludwig also seemed to be wearing a simple pair of black high heels, the exact ones that all the women at the store had assure Gilbert that although plain, would look stunning with any outfit. He couldn't help but agree now with their sentiments.

Everything that Ludwig wore was simple, just a skirt, a blouse, and some jewelry. There was nothing that screamed to grab attention, and yet Gilbert found he couldn't look away. As a man, Ludwig had always had the talent of looking good in suits, whether it be a military uniform or a business suit, whether it was plain or decorated. It appeared that even as a woman, West still had that talent.

When blue eyes finally managed to look up at the gawking albino, the girl's red cheeks seemed to get redder if possible. "I look ridiculous," she muttered. "This is never going to work."

Gilbert blinked several times before shaking his head. "What the hell are you talking about? You look _awesome_, West!"

Germany looked up at her brother sharply, and Gilbert knew that she was scrutinizing him, that she didn't believe him. "Don't mock me, _Bruder_."

"_Nein nein nein nein!_" the albino held up his hands hurriedly. "I mean it. You look…good. Seriously!"

The blonde still looked uncomfortable. Closing those icy eyes of her, Ludwig took a deep breath before releasing it slowly. "Okay. Fine. You're right. I was just being a coward earlier. Let's go then. I've got everything packed."

The older German stood a moment admiring the outfit before he nodded. "Hey, look at the bright side, West! No one will know this is you!"

"You're right," the girl nodded quickly. "Okay. But we should go."

Gilbert turned to leave when he heard Ludwig let out a mumbled curse. "Is there something wrong?" he asked, turning around to find his sister standing awkwardly with a look of utter concentration on her face. It was simply adorable.

"N-no," she shook her head right away, before she leaned over to pick up her bag. Gilbert was sorry that the blouse covered her top so well.

"Okay. Then let's go. I already packed the car with my stuff and the paperwork," he turned to walk out again. "Oh, and I got your laptop too."

"Thanks," Ludwig muttered and the sound of heels clicking followed after Gilbert. The steps didn't sound at all even and it made the albino wonder. Normally Ludwig had very even steps, but these sounded…well, they sounded weird.

Turning, Gilbert had to bite his bottom lip to keep from bursting out laughing. He watched as Ludwig ungracefully made her way over to the stairwell. The girl looked terrible uncoordinated, like a newborn colt that just couldn't get the concept of walking down to a fine art yet. Her ankles looked shaky, like they were going to snap or something, and her knees kept knocking together, like if she braced them together or something, it'd be easier to walk.

But what really made the Prussian laugh was the look of serious concentration of the girl's face as she attempted to perform walking in heels. It was probably one of the cutest things Gilbert had seen in a while, and he just couldn't help but laugh. It reminded him of when West had been a little kid, like when he had tried to teach the child on how to tie knots. Ludwig had worn the same look then as she did now.

"Having trouble, there, West?" he winked.

The girl turned red, both from embarrassment and anger, and she growled low in her throat to show her displeasure. It sent a shiver down the albino's spine. "Shut up," she snapped. "You try walking in heels and _then _we'll talk about who's having trouble."

Gilbert just continued to laugh, shaking his head. "They can't be that bad."

"Well they are!" Ludwig snapped.

The older brother just continued to snicker. "Give me your bags, West."

"I can get them myself, thank you," the girl snorted indignantly.

It was a matter of pride now. Both Gilbert and Ludwig had always despised asking for help, even when they were little. When Ludwig had been a little boy, Gilbert would constantly walk in on his brother in some sort of mess, but the boy always refused aide, always too proud to ask for it, too ashamed. The March Revolution was just one example that Gilbert could think of where things had gotten a little out of hand for his younger sibling when West had refused help.

"I know you can," he soothed, sliding his hand over his sister's before plucking the handle on the suitcase out of hers. "But I'd rather you held onto the railing while walking down the stairs. I wouldn't want you to fall and break that pretty neck of yours."

Again, the blonde looked completely insulted, but she let her brother take her things. Pushing past him, nose in the air, Ludwig tried walking away from her brother with as much dignity and grace she could muster while in the accursed high heels. Such attitude usually annoyed Gilbert, but today, it just made him snicker.

The goings down the stairs took longer than normal and it seemed Ludwig really was worried about falling and breaking something. She kept a death grip on the rail with one hand, while the other seemed to be helping her with her balance. It really was sad how hard this looked for the blonde, but the albino just could not wipe the smile off of his face. Honestly! He knew people who would _pay _to see Ludwig floundering around in heels…only, those people would have liked to see Ludwig as a guy, 'cause that would have been funnier. As a woman, it made Gilbert a little sad.

Once the stairs were out of the way, Ludwig looked like it was a huge victory. Gilbert continued to grin and walked to the door, ready to get going. "Wait!" she called. "What about the dogs?"

"We took care of them last night, remember?" Now she was just stalling!

Ludwig shifted uncomfortably before nodding once. "All right," she sounded reluctant. "I guess we're off then. You have all the paper work? For me and you?"

"All loaded and ready to go!" the albino smiled reassuringly at the girl as he held open the door. "Can you make it to the car in those?" he snickered.

"Shut the hell up, Gilbert."

Gilbert just laughed. "Ladies first."

The blonde glowered at her brother before she pushed past him and made her uncoordinated trek to the car. The older brother just laughed again before he caught up to her in no time. He opened the truck and put in West's things neatly. The good thing about traveling with the German siblings was that they were quite organized and they never brought a whole lot, just the essentials when traveling. The biggest bags in the car were actually those filled with paperwork and laptops. They were on a business trip after all, not on a tourist trip.

After shutting the trunk, Gilbert froze with a scowl. "Nope. _Nein_. Out of the driver's seat, West."

Ludwig looked absolutely furious, probably wasn't happy about being ordered around all morning by her brother. "This is _my _car, _Bruder_, and if I want to drive the damn thing, then I'll drive it!"

Unfazed, the albino shook his head. "No, West. You're supposed to be my secretary. A human, at that. You're supposed to aide _me_. I have to drive if this is going to be believable."

"And why the hell is that?" the blonde did not back down. She seemed ten times more aggressive now than she did before, but that was not wholly unexpected. Germany loved her cars and _no one_ got in the way of her and her vehicles. It had always been this way.

The Prussian sighed, feeling very much like a parent disciplining their temperamental teenager. "Listen, West, everyone _expects _you to drive. The only other person you let actually _touch _your car, let alone drive it, is me. No one would believe that even with you not present, that you'd let a human woman drive it to Italy with your brother."

Ludwig did not back down but remained tense and ready to argue. Logic never filtered through Germany's brain when it came to things like this, things she really wanted. After all, this was her car, why should she have to subject herself to her brother's driving when she was right there? But her stubbornness was getting on the albino's nerves.

"Just scoot over, for God's sake, Ludwig!"

The two siblings were once more set in a contest of glaring, but for once, Germany was the one to fold first. With a heavy sigh, she scooted over to the passenger side before crossing her arms moodily. She really did resemble a pouting teenager, and it only made Gilbert chuckle all the more.

Getting in, the older German buckled up before beginning the journey across Europe. It was a little weird, actually, driving Ludwig's car when in all actuality, West was _right there_ beside him. This had never happened before. Once the blonde had grown into adulthood it was no longer any fun and games. Ludwig was a dominate personality, much like Gilbert himself, but the blonde was _never _relenting. She never settled for less than what she wanted and with such an attitude, and because Prussia had not always wanted to have an angry sibling all the time, he had been forced to give in to some of the younger German's demands, such as always driving. Eventually, to cover up the anger of not being allowed to drive the car, and to pay his lovely West back for being such a bear, the albino had dubbed his sibling his personal driver. And payback was certainly a bitch.

They went on in silence for a while, neither German speaking, not even the radio on, Gilbert finally decided not to let Ludwig sulk. "Here," he said, handing over the map. "You can be navigator."

The blonde scowled darkly, but took it anyway. They both knew the way to Italy perfectly—they had both had to take a certain Italian home more than once—but Ludwig seemed to realize that her brother was trying, in a way, to apologize, or at least make her feel useful. "We're going through Austria, _ja_?" she asked quietly.

Gilbert nodded. "That's the best way to go when you don't want to be stopped and asked a lot of questions, right?" he grinned at her. Going through Switzerland was an interrogation compared to Austria.

"That's just because Austria doesn't like you in his lands and has you removed as fast as he can," the girl snorted, though there was a small grin that lingered around the edges of her lips, threatening to break her angry façade.

The albino just laughed and nodded. They both knew that Roderich still couldn't stand Gilbert much, a fact that the Prussian was all too proud of, and would do almost anything to ensure that the former Teutonic state stayed very far away. It was quite funny, actually…in a sad sort of way. But the albino enjoyed it and so no one else really questioned it because, though they might not have approved of what Gilbert did, always picking on Austria, they also didn't really want to upset Germany. After all, it really wasn't the blonde's fault…and the fact that no one wanted Gilbert to come bother _them_.

Eventually the two settled into a familiar quiet, though Ludwig was still pouting slightly due to being the one in the passenger seat. To Gilbert, though, this was great. He had not driven Ludwig anywhere since the Second World War when the blonde had been shot and bleeding everywhere from a gunshot wound in the side and had been nearly passed out. Of course, at the time Ludwig still tried to get into the driver's seat, but after Gilbert had slapped him upside the head, the blonde had agreed that it would not be wise for him to drive since he could very well pass out. Who knew that the adorable little boy that Prussia had raised would grow up to be so possessive?

But it was in the middle of appreciating the right to finally get to drive his _darling _West about that Gilbert glanced over at his new sister, only to realize that there was something _missing _from said sister. Ludwig sat with her legs crossed, as well as her arms, and was staring at the window. She didn't seem to notice anything amiss, but the albino did, and although he didn't quite know what it was, he was going to find out. But just as he was going to ask if Ludwig had done anything different, he noticed something else for sure.

"Oi, West…you have a band aid on your leg," he frowned.

The blonde almost instantly blushed before uncrossing her legs and trying to pull her skirt down a bit. "_J-ja_, I do."

Gilbert was about to ask what his sibling had done to require such a thing, when it hit him. "Oh. My. _Gott_… Ludwig! You don't have hair on your legs! Did you shave?"

Germany was bright red once again, looking very defensive and embarrassed. "Sh-shut up! I-it didn't look right for a woman to have hairy legs."

The albino was instantly sent into a fit of laughter that rang out too loudly in the car. He almost started swerving in his lane because he was laughing so hard. "I-I can't believe you _shaved_!" he gasped out, allowing himself to appreciate his sister's growling. "What the hell are you going to do if you turn back into a guy? HA! I'll need to get a picture of that!"

"It's not like I wear shorts much anyway," the blonde snapped before turning away from her mocking brother. "J-just shut up about. I don't tell anyone all the things _you _do."

The Prussian just snorted, more out of amusement than feeling the rebuke. "Is that why you took so fucking long this morning to get ready? You were shaving your legs?" he couldn't help but smirk at the thought. Ludwig really did have nice legs…

"Oh look, we're at the Austrian border," Ludwig snapped, not at all appreciating her brother's continuation of the subject and trying desperately to move the topic to something else.

The older German decided to let the subject go for the time being, and instead began getting all of the documentations and I.D.s out to show the border police. Once they came up, Gilbert unrolled the window and smiled up at the Austrian. "_Guten Tag_!" he greeted, immensely happy after having gotten to laugh at Ludwig only moments ago.

The Austria looked at the smirking Prussian a bit distrustfully before nodding. "_Guten Tag_. What's your business, _Herr…_"

"_Herr Preuβen. _Although I supposed I'm still called _Ost-Deutschland_ anymore."

The guard's eyes instantly lit up with recognition. It was a wonder that he had not remembered seeing this man before considered his own personification informed _all _of the border patrolmen about a certain albino nuisance. "Oh! Yes, _Herr Ost-Deutschland_! Forgive me. Yes, we were called yesterday about looking out for you…but who is this with you? This is not _Herr Westdeutchland._"

While Ludwig instantly stiffened, Gilbert simply snorted, looking very composed. (He had a lot of experience with lying, after all.) "Obviously," he rolled his eyes. "Didn't my boss inform you? I brought a secretary with me for my meeting with Italy."

The Austrian nodded. "Of course she is allowed to cross with you. If she has her own papers, that is."

The girl in the car looked very rigid and Gilbert could tell his sister was nervous, but damn she had an excellent poker face! It was only after knowing Ludwig for literally over a thousand years that he could tell that blonde was worried. So, keeping his own features lack, the albino lazily withdrew the fake paperwork and gave it to the guard. "Can you hurry it up a little?" the Prussian sighed. He knew he always made the Austrian border men antsy anyway. "We need to get moving."

True to form, this guard seemed almost desperate to get rid of the albino. He had heard enough horror stories about the former state from fellow guards, as well as Austria himself, and he did _not _wish to get into trouble with the Germany government either! So, just glancing over the document and making sure the picture lined up with the girl sitting in the car, the guard nodded, handing back the papers. "There you are. Have a good trip _Herr Deutschland. Frau _Müller_._"

Without waiting much longer, Gilbert nodded and drove off. He was immensely pleased that he had been able to forge the fake documentation for his sister, but another part of him was shocked. Had that man actually called _him Herr Deutschland_? No one had _ever _called _him _that before…

Any thoughts about being recognized as Germany were shattered when the blonde beside him tore the papers away from her brother. Ludwig looked over the papers she had not yet seen and scowled faintly. "_Frau _Helga Müller?"

"What's wrong with Helga?" Gilbert frowned. "That's a popular name."

"For the 1700s," Ludwig threw the papers back down. "Couldn't you have picked something a little less… stereotypical?"

"I have very fond memories of the 1700s, thank you very much," the albino sniffed. "And I happen to like the name Helga."

"You just like that name because it was _Der Alte Fritz_'s maid that always served you beer at night."

"And what's wrong with a little name association I'd like to know?" the Prussian cried.

"Just don't hold your breath that I'll serve you beer at night," Ludwig growled.

"What name would you have given yourself then? Hmm? Miss Smarty-Pants?" Gilbert teased.

The blonde's face suddenly lost its pouting expression and was replaced by one of horror before it quickly faded into resentment. "I am a _man, Bruder_!" Germany growled. "Refer to me as such when we're alone."

"Well, you're a _woman_ in all actuality, West, and until you get England or someone to turn you back, you're just going to have to accept that fact," Gilbert said wisely. "It's really not so bad, West. I mean, nothing's really changed that much, has it? You're still the _same_ even if you are a girl."

The light chide infused in logic seemed to have calmed the raging German a bit, but she still seemed extremely putout. One side of Gilbert could not understand why his sister was acting this way. After all, she _was _a girl now, but the other part knew very well Ludwig's side in this. It _had _only been a few days since West had turned into a woman. Briefly, the albino wondered what he'd have done had he been turned into a woman so suddenly…

"Hey, West?" he asked as a naughty idea struck him.

The blonde sighed. "_Ja_?"

"Since you're a girl and all now, have you, you know, been having fun?"

Ludwig turned to frown at her brother. "'Having fun'?"

"Yeah, you know!" the Prussian grinned excitedly. He _adored _this sort of subject. "You got boobs and all now, so have you been thinking about getting a sexy little outfit or something to play with—"

"_NEIN_!" It was not an exaggeration to say that Ludwig's face was tomato red. It was possibly even redder than that, but Gilbert couldn't think of anything redder than a tomato at the moment. "Absolutely not! Wh-what kind of question is that?"

Gilbert just cackled all the louder. He found his sister's face hilarious, but he was also laughing off the feeling of sorrow that washed over him at the news that Ludwig did not want to play with any lingerie at the moment. _Damn! And here I thought I'd come up with a great excuse to get her in the set I bought…_

"Never?" he wiggled his eyebrow suggestively. "Come on, West! You were the king of porn! You can't tell me you honestly never thought about dressing up in lingerie! You know, you look just as good as those girls in the magazines, and I think that in the right outfit you could—"

"Absolutely not!" Ludwig looked about ready to jump out of the moving car if the conversation where to go any further. "How could you, my own brother, talk to me like this?"

The question slapped the albino in the face. Instantly his attitude and demeanor did a 180 and he suddenly felt disgusting again. How _could _he ask his own sister these questions? How could he ask the one he had _raised _these questions? For the first time in his life, the Prussian felt like a dirt old man that was looking at all the teenage girls. It just felt…weird…

But not wanting the blonde to sense the shift in his temperament, Gilbert just continued to smirk. "Jeeze, I was kidding, West? Ever hear of a joke?"

And once more, silence fell over the Beilschmidts. Neither one felt inclined to speak, but they did not have to worry. Soon enough the Italian border station came into view and the Germans prepared themselves to fool more guards. Glancing over at Ludwig, the older nation decided that perhaps they would have to have another talk later on. After all, no matter how much he _loved _to annoy his sibling, he still didn't like it when West was mad at him, especially when the younger was obviously confused and hurting.

Rolling down the window, the Prussian prepared himself for an onslaught of Italian mannerisms. "Ah, good day to you, _Signore_!" the guard cried happily. "We were expecting you~ Ah, but where is the sterner looking German? Is he not coming along today?"

Doing his best to not get annoyed—if he were honest, Gilbert would admit that he did not have as much patients when it came to dealing with the Italians as his brother had, seeing as Ludwig somehow built up an immunity to them—the albino nodded, giving up a smile. "_Guten Tag_. No, West had some other business."

The Italian suddenly looked immensely relieved, but tried not to show it and seem rude. Instead, he put on a false frown, nodding. "Well that is too bad," he said. In all honesty, he was happy that Germany wasn't there since the blonde nation was seen as too severe and scary on most occasions.

The guard was about to let the albino through, not even bothering to look at any papers, when he froze, a charming sort of smile coming over his face. "And who do you have with you then?"

"_Frau _Müller," Ludwig answered crisply, apparently still more annoyed with Gilbert than nervous. "I am working as _Herr Ost-Deutschland'_s secretary for the meetings in Romano."

The guard continued to smile and nod, though it was clear he wasn't actually listening to the words coming from the woman's mouth. "Good, good. You are very lovely, _Signorina_~ Perhaps you should visit Italy more often, no?"

Neither Gilbert nor Ludwig appreciated this blatant flirting, and before the guard could even consider looking through the papers, the albino snatched them up, grumbling. "Can we go through now?"

The Italian seemed completely unaware that he had angered the Prussian or affectively mortified the German, but nodded. "_Sí_, of course! Have a wonderful stay in Italy! And I do hope you find it as lovely as you yourself, _Signorina _Müller," he winked at the blonde.

Ludwig's face heated up again and she turned her face away. Gilbert drove through while the Italian simply laughed, looking longingly after the car. It had been awhile since the albino had been out and abroad and for just a moment he had forgotten how…affectionate Italians could be. Especially if there was a pretty lady involved. It was slightly irritating that that man forgot all about the awesome that had been sitting before him in favor of ogling his sister…which was also _not _awesome.

Once they were about a mile away from the border, Ludwig turned to stare at her brother. The albino kept driving but glanced over at the girl. "Can I help you, West?" he asked playfully. He adored it when Ludwig looked at him. It meant that she was being drawn in by his awesome.

"Do I really look that much like a woman?" she asked, sounding sad.

The Prussian sighed, not liking how what he was going to say would upset the girl. "West," he began. "Look, I know that a few days ago you were a guy and all, but right now you're not. You _do _look every inch the woman you are, and a damn pretty one! Did you see the way that Italian was drooling over you? I mean, I know it's a little overwhelming, but at least you're not an ugly lady, or something."

The blonde nodded, apparently mulling over what was being told to her before she turned and stared back out the window. Ludwig was not so good with change, Gilbert knew this. All throughout Germany's history, the young nation had had to change frequently, always changing names, it seemed like, every other week. To many, because Germany had such a chaotic childhood, they would have assumed that the blonde was good at adapting. Ludwig adapted, but not always willingly, she had changed many times in the past because it was a _necessity._

Few knew that Ludwig had actually been the Holy Roman Empire—only Prussia, Austria, Hungary, and although it was not confirmed, Gilbert believed France had his own suspicions on the matter— and due to having been Holy Rome for just a tad over one thousand years, it was understandable that the blonde liked consistency and it made sense that Ludwig was terrible at adapting to such large changes after that. Even though Germany might not remember being Holy Rome, there were still very noticeable traits of that personification that still resided in Ludwig.

So, the Germans were quiet until they finally reached the hotel in which Gilbert had been told. Because they did not want their own government to be told anything, it was decided that Gilbert would just check in, get an extra set of keys, and then the two siblings would share a room. That way Ludwig didn't have to pay out of pocket to stay somewhere, which in turn would save them money, something both siblings like a great deal.

Exiting the car, the albino took out his suitcase and the briefcases full of paperwork before going in. Ludwig stayed behind in the car, going a little slower. It had been decided that Gilbert would come back out, looking like he forgot something in the car, before passing the extra set of keys off. Then she would go in and he would follow shortly after.

With the plan all set, the albino walked into the building and leaned on the counter. "Oi!" he called. "I'd like my room!"

The employee came up to the counter and smile. "_Salvo, Signore_," the man greeted cheerily. "Name, please?"

"_Herr Ost-Deutschland_." Gilbert smirked when he saw the Italian go a little pale. Obviously Germans were feared wherever they go…or it was just that the man was nervous since England would becoming over soon and everyone knows what happens when you get the English and the Germans together: _Towel Wars! _The albino chuckled to himself. He was already thinking up ways to annoy the Brit…

"Of course," the worker nodded before taking out a set of keys. "Here you are, _Signore Germania_."

…Now that one was just _weird_. _That _name always reminded him of the man that had taken him in, and it had always bothered him when either of the Italys had called West that, but for it to be applied to _him_…it was just weird. But best not to keep West waiting too long.

"I'd like another key set, if possible," he said, grabbing the first set. "I always like a spare."

The brunette opposite him laughed a bit nervously. "Like your brother, aren't you?" he asked conversationally before handing over the extra key. "_Grazie_!"

Nodding, the Prussian picked up his belongings as well. "_Danke schön_."

He made it up to the hotel room before dumping off the bags. He didn't really have long to appreciate the interior before he stalked back out to the car. The man behind the desk smiled at him, before quickly turning away, rapidly tying something in, looking nervous. _Probably informing the pool staff to get ready_! "Kesesesesesese!" he snickered.

Once to the car, he passed the extra set off to his sister, who was waiting ready. "Room 204," he said simply before the blonde nodded and walked off.

Gilbert watched her go, her normal stride was a little stunted due to the heels, but it looked better than this morning. She'd probably been thinking about the best way to walk in them all morning. His poor West. The older brother couldn't help but snicker, especially when he saw the band aid on the back of her one leg. Wow. He hadn't really noticed it much before now, what with everything _else _to look at first, but Ludwig _really_ did have nice looking legs.

Shaking his head, not wanting to think along _those _lines, Gilbert stared towards the door again. He walked in just in time to see Ludwig _finally _make it to the elevator. Seems she had been stopped by several Italian men along the way. It was hilarious, but at the same time, Prussian fighting instincts rose up in the older brother and he was in full protection mode. Having men flirt from a distance while in the car was one thing, out in the open like this was another.

So, Gilbert marched over to the elevator, making sure to glare at anyone in his way. "Hold, please," he asked his sister. The blonde looked a bit relieved to see her brother. She did as asked and with the presence of the scary looking German man around, the Italians backed off, allowing the two to ride up. Once to their room, Gilbert opened the door as Ludwig quickly scurried in.

The girl flopped down on the couch instantly, tearing off the wretched heels that incased her feet. Once that was done, she slumped back in the couch, closing her eyes and letting out a very rare whine. "Gilbert!" she grumbled. "I don't want to be here!" she complained covering her eyes with her hands.

The older German smirked before taking a seat next to the blonde. "Is the Great Germany, West Extraordinaire really _whining_?" he mocked lightly. "Say it isn't so!"

The girl slapped his arm none too gently. "This is just a disaster! _Why _won't these men leave me alone?"

Pulling back his lips in a feral grin, Gilbert leaned in close to the blonde until they were almost touching noses. He noticed a delicious blush overcame Ludwig's cheeks and she looked up at him with wide, blue eyes. "Because," he murmured. "You look like a lady."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I'm a terrible person leaving it off here, but oh well~ ^^ Hope this was okay. Next up: Gilbo goes to the meeting while Ludwig goes out on her own with no Prussia to protect her from the _vicious _flirting Italian men. X) It should be fun. ^^

***BIG thanks to DA4TheRunOfIt for giving me ideas on the shaving legs part. XD Thank you~!

**History/Language: **_Der Alte Fritz_ = Fritz. (lit. The Old Fritz) You really should know the rest of the German/ Italian. But I kept calling Ludwig and Gilbert East and West Germany in this to clarify which was which, though today it really is all just Germany. And since Germany is HRE in this, she's over 1,000 old, Prussia too.

So, drop me a review, please! Let me know what you think. Thanks! :D


	7. Chapter 6: Truthful Reflections

**Chapter Six: Truthful Reflections**

"Because," Gilbert murmured, eyes heavy lidded. "You look like a lady."

Ludwig was blushing like crazy, and it wasn't just at his brother's words, oh no. The albino was currently camped out less than a centimeter from his face, and the blonde did _not _like this at all. Summing up as much strength as he could, Ludwig pushed his brother away, sending the other falling over. "Sh-shut up, _Bruder!_" he yelled. "This isn't a game!"

The older of the two looked extremely hurt, and a pout came to his thin lips. Germany might have called his brother out on it, moping like a little girl, but then again _he _himself had been far too pouty as well, he had to admit. But the blonde watched as red eyes rolled dramatically. "_Ja ja_, West. I know."

Did he know? Did Gilbert really understand the severity of this situation? Sure, what had started out as Ludwig just wanting to complain—he could indulge in such things every once and a while too, you know!— now turned serious as the blonde thought. Was his brother taking this seriously? He knew Gilbert liked these sorts of things, getting in trouble and all, and he certainly wouldn't miss the chance to crow and mock someone else in such an odd situation. Was Gilbert just laughing on the inside, not worried about anything, or did he truly understand what his brother was going through?

The blonde frowned over at the older German, eyes narrowing. "I don't think you really do," Ludwig muttered before standing up and walking towards his suitcase. Ignoring the albino's sullen face, the blonde went through his new clothes, wanting something to do. But the attempt to keep himself busy backfired and only ended up making Ludwig feel worse now that he saw all of the women's clothing in his suitcase.

Germany sighed and began unpacking, making sure to keep his back firmly turned towards his brother. He just _knew _Gilbert was sneering at him right now. The albino had such a wicked sense of humor…and honestly, it hurt sometimes. Oh sure, Ludwig knew that deep down his brother loved him and cared for him—Gilbert offering to become East Germany so Ludwig wouldn't have to be split in two himself _and_ dealing with Russia was proof of that!—but lately it never really seemed like Gilbert cared much anymore. All the former state did was lie around at home and drink all the beer. It was annoying, though, again, Ludwig felt as though he owned his brother after everything Prussia had done for him in the past…

"You know, we're only here two days, you could just leave that stuff in your suitcase," Gilbert called over.

Ignoring the shout, Ludwig went about unpacking all the same. "Everything will wrinkle," the blonde said calmly.

The other snorted from the couch. "You're still so stuffy, West!" Gilbert scoffed. "We're not a military state anymore."

Germany stiffened, knowing that his brother was right, but no matter how old he got, there were just some habits that Ludwig could not get rid of. No matter what happened to him now, he still remembered the chaos he went through when he had been a young confederation, the uncertainly, the trauma. But when Gilbert had taken him on and created the Empire, Ludwig had gained stability, order, things that he'd always desperately wanted, but never had as a confederation. So it was the rules, the order that Ludwig loved, because no matter how far away the past got, Ludwig would never forget it, any of it.

So while Ludwig knew that he was stuffy, was too uptight about things, he would never stray from the rules or regulations, because he never wanted to fall into chaos again. The only problem now was the fact that he had turned into a woman. It had complete destroyed his perfect routine, all of his carefully planned out schedules. For someone who loved habit as much as Germany, this turn of events was about ten times worse than if it had happened to someone else.

But knowing that his brother was expecting an answer, Ludwig sighed. "I know that," he muttered quietly. It always surprised him, however, at how easily his brother seemed able to adapt to change. Maybe that's why he was still around? Maybe Gilbert was the young spirit of Germany while Ludwig was the desperate lot that tried to cling to the past? Whatever it ended up being, and no matter how annoying Gilbert was, the blonde was just happy that the old Prussia was still around.

As the younger brother was putting his clothes away, he could hear the albino sighing and flopping around on the couch, groaning as he presumably stretched out. "Ugh!" Gilbert grunted. "You're getting fat, little guy!" he spoke to his bird. "You're making my head hurt!"

Despite himself, Ludwig allowed himself to smile while his back was towards his brother. It really was astonishing at how much Gilbert had changed over the years, from the aggressive military kingdom of Prussia to the somewhat lazy eastern providence of Germany. The red-eyed nation was certainly infuriating, but again, the blonde wouldn't trade him for the world.

"Maybe you ought to put him on a diet, _ja_?" he asked over his shoulder.

"No way!" Gilbert cried. Ludwig looked over his shoulder covertly and saw the other hug his favorite pet close to his chest passionately. "I still remember your crazy diet schemes from when you made Kiku stop eating so much salt! No _way _am I going to put Gilbird through that!"

Turning around, the blonde placed his hands on his hips and frowned. "You don't have to be as extreme as I was back then, you know."

Gilbert snorted. "You were really crazy then…You know," he sat up, "you really scared me then when you didn't drink any beer. I seriously thought that you had a stroke…or something."

The blonde rolled his eyes, trying desperately to hide his amusement. "It not _that _weird for me to skip a drink beer one night."

The statement was met with a blank stare from the older brother and for an awkward moment, they both just looked at each other before Gilbert burst out laughing. "Kesesesese! Oh man, West!" he wiped a tear from his eye. "You really had me going there for a second! I almost thought you were serious for a minute! Kesesesese!"

The blonde turned away again, trying not to ruin his brother's mood by informing the albino that he _had _been serious. Shaking his head, Ludwig grabbed his night clothes and went into the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Awesome!" Gilbert shot up. "I'll join you!"

Ludwig gawked at his brother with a look of absolute horror. "Y-you will not!" he sputtered, face hot with mortification.

Oddly enough, the albino's face turned pink as well, and the Prussian laughed a bit uneasily. "Just kidding, West. Gosh, can't you take a joke? Hahaha!"

Germany marched into the bathroom without a second glance before locking the door behind him quickly. "You better stay out there!" he shouted, leaning against the door, as if he expected Gilbert to try and break it down.

When he heard the other laugh again, Ludwig sighed and set down his new night clothes. He scowled at the nightgown and the underwear as though they were the devil before turning on the shower. It really had been a long day, and all he wanted to do was just take a hot shower and go to sleep. It was still fairly early in the evening, but then again, they had been driving all day, and being in the car with Gilbert all day was certainly taxing on anyone's nerves.

Slipping out of the skirt and blouse he was in, Germany couldn't help but glance at his reflection in the mirror. What he saw was a young woman in a bra and panties with hose up to her thighs. It might have been a very appealing sight for the blonde a couple weeks ago, but it was strange to see that reflection and know it was his. But what was worse—at least to his male mind—was now that this once appealing image was _his _image, it wasn't so interested anymore. In fact, Ludwig was distressed to find that he wasn't all that attracted to what he saw now…

Trying to clear his head of the blasphemous thoughts, the blonde peeled off the remaining garments and stepped into the hot shower. A sigh instantly escaped the German as he let the water just hit him for a moment. But ever the practical one, Ludwig did not take too long to allow himself the simple pleasure of standing there wasting water, and soon set to work scrubbing his body and washing his hair. It was odd not having to worry about getting the hair gel out. It was nice, in a way, though he still missed the neatness the gel afforded.

After about ten minutes, he turned the water off and grabbed a towel. As he dried off, he slipped on his clothes. Taking the comb he had set out as well, he combed through his straight hair and frowned slightly at the beads of water that kept falling in his eyes. Toweling his hair dry and re-combing it, the German decided that he was finished.

He stopped a moment, though, to stare at himself again in the large mirror. He saw a woman in a silk nightgown, not a man in a tank top and boxers. His reflection was almost completely different, but he took comfort in seeing the same pair of blue eyes looking at him. If nothing else, his eyes would never change.

When Ludwig opened the door to the bathroom, he found Gilbert had stripped down to his boxers and t-shirt and was sprawled out on the couch flipping through the channels. "I ordered dinner to be brought to the room since I figured you didn't want to eat out," the albino commented, not bothering to look up. "And don't worry, I didn't order for two, though I did order a little extra. Made them think I was really hungry and not harboring an extra person in my room."

"Whatever," the blonde muttered as he folded up his dirty clothes and put them away in the bag he'd brought for laundry.

With nothing else to do, Ludwig went to the sitting room where Gilbert was lounging. The blonde kicked his brother's feet off the end of sofa and sat down. Strangely enough, the albino did not try to rest his feet across his brother's lap like he usually did when Ludwig sat.

They sat together, watching some sort of movie that neither one could really get into, before the older German looked over at the blonde. "It's weird to think of you in a nightgown," he said bluntly.

Germany bristled instantly. "Shut up. You're the one that bought it for me. Might as well use it and not let the money you spent on it go to waste."

"I never said you looked bad in it, I just meant that it's weird to think of _you, _Ludwig, in a nightgown." Gilbert smirked deviously. "You honestly don't look that bad in it."

Ludwig did not grace the final comment with an answer. Instead they lapsed into silence. When someone knocked on the door, the older of the two stood and answered it and received the food he had ordered. He brought it back to the couch, and the two siblings ate without saying a word, both lost in thoughts neither would share with the other. When they were finished, they watched the end of the movie before Gilbert went to the bathroom before bed. When he was done, Ludwig went in to brush his teeth.

Walking back out, the blonde found his brother already in bed, sprawled out in the middle of the huge king size. He scowled at this. "Move," he ordered, sliding under the covers as well.

The albino was sitting up in a second. "What are you doing, West?"

Something strange flashed in the crimson eyes across from him, but Ludwig couldn't catch what it was. "What does it look like I'm doing? Now scoot over. You can't hog the whole bed."

"You can't sleep in this bed!"

_Did Gilbert's voice just crack? _Ludwig thought, surprised by his brother's reaction. "Well I'm sure as hell not going to sleep on the couch after what you put me through today," he snapped.

"But you can't sleep here!" the albino insisted.

"Why not?" the blonde demanded, becoming more and more aggravated with his brother's protest. "We use to sleep together all the time, and we even shared a bed back in the twenties and part of the thirties, remember?" Again, something odd flashed over the pale face next to him after Ludwig said this. "What's your problem?"

"It's just that…I mean, how can you…with everything that's happened…with you being…"

It was not every day that one could fluster the self-proclaimed "Awesome Prussia" and reduce him into a stuttering, blushing mass, but Germany found that he had. Normally, Ludwig would have smirked at seeing his brother in such a state, seeing the albino lose his wicked leer and flounder about, but at the moment, Germany could not. In fact, the blonde was confused as to what had actually caused his brother's reaction like this in the first place. Was it really so unthinkable to share a bed with a sibling nowadays? Had Gilbert really just gotten this use to sleeping alone over the last sixty-six years?

Rolling blue eyes, Ludwig started to get up from the bed. "If you really are going to be like this, then I'll sleep on the couch," he growled.

"No!" Gilbert practically jumped forward, grabbing his younger sibling's wrist. "I mean, you don't have to. Like you said, it's been a long day, right? I was just being selfish. Come on back into bed."

Raising an eyebrow at the abnormal behavior, but not wanting to risk the offer being retracted, Ludwig slid back under the covers. "Whatever. I'm tired; can we please just go to bed?"

"Sure," the albino nodded before rolling over to the opposite side of the bed to turn out the light on his night stand. "_Gute Nacht_, _Westen_."

"_Gute Nacht._"

Germany settled in under the covers and snuggled down into his pillow, relieved that the day was finally over. He was exhausted and more than a little confused with how strangely his brother was behaving, but didn't let that keep him from sleep. Ludwig was almost directly carried away into dreams after a mentally trying day.

The same, however, could not be said of the other occupant in the bed. While Germany slept peacefully, he was completely unaware of the fact that his brother was finding it very difficult to even close his eyes that night.

**oOoOoOo**

The next morning Ludwig woke up to the sound of the shower going. He rolled over with a groan and peeked over to the other side of the bed. Gilbert was not there. As his brain started to catch back up to him, the blonde realized that that made since, considering that the shower was going; it _had _to be Gilbert in there. Who else could it be?

Still a little groggy, he looked at the clock to find that the numbers read five-fifteen. Even for the early-bird German, that was too early. Ludwig rolled back over on his side, away from the clock, and closed his eyes, wishing desperately that he was still asleep. What the hell was Gilbert doing up this early?

After only about five minutes or so, the shower turned off and Gilbert came out, platinum hair dripping. Ludwig tried his best to pretend he was still asleep, which really wasn't that hard considering that he was halfway there, and listened to his brother scuffle about. Again, as his brother unzipped his bag, the blonde could not help the wave of anger that rushed through him at the noise. Why was Gilbert even awake?

It came as a surprise when the albino came crawling back into bed, sighing. Now Ludwig was battling with himself, trying to figure out if he was more confused or annoyed. Why had Gilbert gotten up and taken a shower if he was just going to come back to bed? The alarm was set for seven, plenty of time for the older German to get up, take a shower, prepare for the meeting, and get to said meeting by nine-thirty, so _why _did he get up to shower now? And why go back to bed?

"What the hell are you doing, East?" Curiosity won in the end, though he didn't bother to even crack open an eye.

He could feel his brother jump slightly, and it pleased the blonde, who, at the moment, appreciated the fact that he scared his brother after the other woke him up. "Oh…did I, uh, wake you?" Gilbert whispered. If Ludwig had been more awake, he would have caught the anxiety in the other's voice.

"Obviously," Germany drawled.

"Sorry."

"Why are you up?" the younger brother asked again.

When no answer came forth right away, Ludwig's short temper peeked, and he grew irritated enough to crack open an eye to glare at his brother. "I just had a dream," the albino whispered.

At the mention of dreams, and seeing his brother dejected expression, Ludwig became more awake and sat up alongside his brother, all annoyance gone. "Was it about the Wall?"

"What?" Gilbert turned startled red eyes towards him. "Oh, no, it wasn't anything like that."

Ludwig frowned. "Do you want to talk about it?" It was always awkward to talk about personal things like feelings to anyone, or even to listen to other talk about their own, but Germany would suffer through the discomfiture if it would help his brother put some of his long battled demons to rest.

"No, not really," the albino smirked slightly. "It wasn't…I mean, it wasn't necessarily a bad dream, it was just…disturbing."

The blonde nodded. "All right. Well, let's see if we can't go back to sleep. We got about an hour and a half before we're supposed to be up and getting ready."

Again, Ludwig worried over his brother when the albino looked a little torn, like he didn't want to go back to sleep. That was a bad sign. Gilbert _loved_ sleeping. "Yeah, okay," he agreed after a moment. "Let's do that…"

The two laid back down, each a little disturbed for their own reasons, and it seemed like no time at all before the alarm went off. Ludwig sat up and looked over to find Gilbert getting up as well. His brother looked so pensive and lost that it pulled at the blonde's heartstrings. He offered a tiny smile for the albino, but it only seemed to make the Prussian's bemused expression worse.

Gilbert went and locked himself in the bathroom to get ready. The younger German sighed and went to get dressed for the day, all the while wondering what was causing his brother's mood. He had brought a sun dress to tour around the city in, and didn't even think twice about slipping it on as his thoughts were on his brother. It really was strange for Gilbert to be acting this way. The last time Gilbert had been like this was when the former state became depressed on the anniversary of his dissolution ten years back. He hoped his brother wasn't feeling that depression again…

When Gilbert came back out of the bathroom, he was dressed in his suit pants and a white shirt. Upon seeing the blonde, a very Gilbert-like grin lit his features, relieving some of Ludwig's anxieties about his brother's sadness by replacing them with new ones. "Looking good there, West," his smirk deepened. "You'll be the hit of Italy in that."

Ludwig snorted, and stomped passed the other to use the bathroom as well. Soon, the two were finished getting ready and sat down to go over the details of the meeting with the Italian brothers.

"—and just because Veneziano cries, don't let that affect you when making deals," Ludwig warned his brother sternly. "He always managed to worm in unfair 'compromises' that way."

"Will do!" the Prussian saluted playfully. "So what are you going to do today while _I _have to work? Gunna just go sightseeing, 'cause you're boring like that?"

The blonde scowled. "Sightseeing isn't boring, _Bruder_."

"It is if you've _been _to Italy a million times."

There was no winning the argument, it always ended the same, so Ludwig wisely dropped it, shaking his head. "You just don't get it," he muttered under his breath.

The albino snickered at his disgruntled brother before packing up all of his papers and organizing his things for the meeting. Ludwig shook his head, exasperated with his brother and was left wondering why he cared for the Prussian fool as much as he did. It really didn't make sense how he could become so frustrated with the albino, but in the end, could never give him up for anything in the world. Life really was a complicated thing.

Eventually, though, Gilbert got ready to go. "Well, gotta go win the bread for this family." He winked at Ludwig's scowl. "Can I get a kiss from my dear little lady?"

"Go to hell," Ludwig growled.

The Prussian just laughed. "Be good today, and don't talk to strangers!" he teased before he sobered. "Seriously, if you need anything, just call. I'll keep my phone on vibrate."

Still a bit miffed at being treated like a child, the blonde rolled his eyes. "Thanks for that, _dad,_" he mocked, earning him a grin from the albino. "When's my curfew?"

Gilbert laughed. "Haven't made up my mind, but don't worry, I'll text you like every five minutes to keep tabs on you."

Unable to stand the pointless banger any longer, Germany pushed his brother out the door and slammed it in his face. He could hear his brother's cackle ring through the entire hall. What was he going to do with that fool?

Taking the opportunity of being alone, Ludwig basked in the silence of the morning. He loved being alone, he loved the stillness, the knowledge that he could just sit and think if he needed to, or do what he wanted and not having to worry about other people getting in his way or making too much noise. After a history like his, it was little wonder that the German appreciated quiet and solitude.

After a bit though, Germany found that sitting indoors all day would be a waste, and went to put on the sandals that Gilbert had gotten him along with the large sun hat, which he might as well use. He packed his small backpack with things he would need, such as the keys to the hotel, his wallet, and even his fake papers, before he looked at the clock. Gilbert's meeting should start in less than half an hour now.

Smiling, actually looking forward to walking about and getting out, Ludwig left the hotel, making sure to avoid eye contact with any men along the way. After last night's experience, he wasn't taking any chances anymore. But the stress of being caught soon melted away as the blonde began his sightseeing.

It was a gorgeous day out. The sun was shining, there was a slight breeze, and the streets weren't too crowded yet. Italy was always breathtaking, and it always amazed the German how serene and beautiful a home the Italians really had. This was why he didn't always mind putting up with Veneziano's whining or his inability to perform the simplest tasks, this was why he tolerated Romano as much as he did; because Ludwig wanted to be able to come back. Although it might have been considered treasonous and downright wrong to think this, Ludwig wondered if he had not been born a personification if he might have just moved to Italy, at least for a little while. Germany was a wonderful place—if he was allowed to say so himself!— but there was just something about Italy…

The blonde spent a good hour walking about the town, just relaxing and wandering without any real rush. Looking at his phone for the time, Ludwig realized that the meeting with the Italians should be underway. He wondered how Gilbert was doing. After this morning's odd behavior, the younger German hoped his brother was well enough to be able to carry out his task. It wasn't often that the albino was so down.

Ludwig soon decided that he was thirsty and began searching about trying to find a café. He was surprised that he didn't think to bring his own water bottle, but then there was always something about being in Italy that made the normally uptight German just relax a bit, making him forget some of the smaller things, like bring his own water.

It was no trouble really, Ludwig knew today was just basically going to be a waste for him anyway. He couldn't work, couldn't go see friends because of his current state, and the only thing he could do was look about. It was nice just to slow down a little and enjoy a day for once. When was the last time he had done something like this?

He was just about to a little, out of the way café, when someone caught his eye. "Shit!" Ludwig muttered, looking about desperately for somewhere to hide.

Walking about lazily, his normal scowl in place, was Romano. What he was doing out here and not at the meeting was beyond the German, but the blonde became almost desperate to find somewhere to take cover before the bad-tempered Italian saw him. It had been such a good morning, walking around; it would be a shame to have someone like Romano ruin it.

But just as Ludwig had thoughts of flat-out running away, he remembered one important thing: he was a woman now. The reason _he _wasn't at the meeting and Gilbert was, was because he was a woman. Not only that, but he was dressed as one too, looking like the perfect tourist on vacation. There was no reason why Romano would question him about his identity because no one knew that Ludwig had changed into a girl other than Gilbert! So it stood to reason Germany could probably walk right on by the Italian without Romano even taking a second glance at some random woman he didn't know that was on holiday.

Taking a deep breath, Ludwig squared his shoulders and stuck his chin up a bit, trying not to look so frightened. With one more deep breath, he resumed his walking, determined to get his drink and continue on with his day.

Ludwig glided right past Romano, not even taking a second glance at the usually surly brunette. But unfortunately for Germany, he had made a critical error in his previous calculations. The fact was that Romano certainly _would _take a second glance at some random woman he didn't know that appeared to be on holiday, especially if that random woman he didn't know and was presumably on holiday was an attractive blonde in a sundress. So, as Ludwig walked by, Romano nearly snapped his own neck trying to watch the German strut on by.

The German became distressed when he walked into a café and realized that Romano had followed him in. Sticking to his plan, Ludwig just told himself to calm down, that the Italian was probably just grabbing a drink before going off to the meeting—which he was already half an hour late for!—and wouldn't bother him at all. And so, when the elderly café owner asked him what he needed, the blonde asked for a bottle of water, trying to keep his voice as calm as he could.

He was startled when Romano suddenly appeared next to him, resting his arm on the counter, smiling charmingly at him. "_Ciao, bella donna_," he nearly purred. "How are you today?"

Germany flushed instantly at the endearment that left _Romano's _mouth. Ludwig had never heard the older Italian personification speak in such a way up close. Sure, he had seen the brunette flirt with girls quite often, but at a distance as whenever Germany was around, Romano went into cursing fits or would try to head butt him, so it was strange to hear the tone he probably used on all the women he flirted with. What made the situation horribly embarrassing and not interesting, was the fact that _Romano _was saying these things to _him_, _Germany_, the nation that the Italian probably hate more than anyone else.

"_G-Grazie_, _buon giorno_," the blonde responded back, hoping he sounded polite and nothing like his normal voice. He turned back to the counter and stared straight ahead of him, hoping Romano would get the picture and realize that he was unwanted.

"Ah! The angel speaks!" the other personification clasped his hands over his heart dramatically, embarrassing Germany even more. "Truly you have fallen from Heaven to grace this earth with your beauty!"

If there was a way he could do it, Ludwig would have sunk into the floor by now. He was terribly uncomfortable and was sure the world hated him. Why else would all this crap be happening to him? It was bad enough that he had been turned into a girl, but to have _Romano _flirt with him? It was too much!

The old store owner came back with the bottle of water, and just as Ludwig was about to pay and run, Romano stepped up again, and placed his hand on Ludwig's wrist. "No no no," he shook his head, smiling in an agreeable fashion. "Allow me to buy this for you. A goddess, such as yourself, can hardly be expected to buy such little things."

_Goddess_? There were no words adequate enough to describe Ludwig's mortification and horror. There was no way in hell Romano would _ever _say things like this to him if he knew who Ludwig really was. Germany was severely tempted to just tell him, to spare them both the humiliation, but he knew that he could not. After all, he was hiding his identity from the world.

He tried to smile, but he knew it probably came out more like a grimace. "_Grazie_, but no," he shook his head. "I cannot allow you to buy my drink."

Ludwig thought his answer had been clear, but apparently, when in the game of love, Italians were much more demanding then when in real combat—a great pity, really. The brunette set his money down on the counter for the old man while simultaneously closing the blonde's hand around the money he had been about to give the café owner. "Please, I insist." The smile was starting to creep Germany out.

Muster all the courage he could, the German smiled again, nodding. "Well thank you. Goodbye!" He pulled his hand out of Romano's grasp before heading for the door.

"Wait!"

He did not. Instead, Ludwig searched desperately for somewhere to go, but Romano caught up to him easily. "Tell me, angel, what is your name?"

"I-I don't give my name to strangers," he said quickly, childishly going back to basic 101 rules of stranger interaction…even though, technically, he knew Romano.

The Italian laughed lightly, the first time the blonde had ever heard such a carefree laugh from this particular man, before smiling broadly. "That is easy then! I am called Romano. I own all of this," he gestured to the town, the streets, everything. "I am the personification of Italy Romano," the pride in his voice was unmistakable. "There now! We are no longer strangers! Now tell me, _angelo_, what is your name?"

Ludwig bit his lip nervously. "I-I don't…" _Dammit Romano! Why aren't you at the meeting? _he longed to scream, but could not. "Thanks for the water, but I really must be going. It was nice meeting you," he said hurriedly.

"Wait!" the brunette caught Germany's hand again. "Please, do not go! I really would like to know your name."

_Shit, he thinks I'm playing hard to get_! Ludwig knew that look in a man's eyes. "Surely an important man like you, a personification, has something more important to be doing right now other than talking to some woman?" he tried to hint.

"Nothing is as important as meeting a beautiful woman such as yourself," Romano cooed.

_Dammit! Why do I always say the wrong things? _"Well…I-I'm flattered. Really. But I must be going now. Thanks again for the water."

Just as Ludwig was turning away, Romano caught his hand and kissed it. Feeling this unexpected contact froze Ludwig in place. The Italian even had the nerve to kiss his hand two more time before he stood up straight. "Well then, it was a truly pleasure to meet you, _signorina._" He suddenly produced a card from out of nowhere. "Please, call me if you need anything." Germany took the offered card wordlessly, still numb. "Even if you get lonely throughout the night." Romano winked one last time before kissing Ludwig's hand before walking off.

Completely dazed, Ludwig wandered to a fountain and sat down on the edge, unable to believe what had just happened to him. Not only had Romano _flirted _with him, something the German was sure the Italian would kill himself for if he ever found out he had, but the brunette had actually _kissed _Ludwig's hand! It seemed so unreal that the older Italian brother was even capable of doing something like that.

Staring down at his reflection, Ludwig's breath caught when he was once again faced with the girl that was peering back at him. That's what Romano had seen, a young woman, not the man everyone had gotten use to seeing over the last couple hundred years. _This _was him now. Romano had stared Germany straight in the eyes several times and had had not recognized him. _This _was him.

Despair settled into the blonde's chest, weighing down his heart, as he knew there was no way he could deny this, no way he could pretend none of this had happened like he'd tried to do the past couple of days. This girl was what everyone saw, even Gilbert. Ludwig was a _woman_ in every sense of the word.

For the first time since waking up a different gender, Ludwig admitted to himself that he was actually a she. _She _was a woman, and Romano had been flirting with _her_.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Hello all! The last few weeks have been quite busy for me, what with getting ready to move into my new apartment, going to the Indiana State Fair (no, I was not in the tragic accident that occurred), and having several wedding showers for my sister, but I hope this newest chapter was good enough to tide you all over. Next chapter will be Gilbert's POV again. And yes, for all you who were wondering, Ludwig is _finally _going to start referring to himself as a girl because, come on!, if Romano believes his most hated "enemy" is really a woman, then there's no hope for him. X) I like being cruel to Luddy in this~

For those of you who know about the Indy disaster this past weekend, please keep on praying for the families of the victims and give thanks that not more people were injured, because from the videos that I've seen, I'm surprised not more people were killed or hurt.

Thanks again to everyone who's reading, and please keep reviewing! I'd love to hear from you all! :)


	8. Chapter 7: Angels and Demons

**Chapter Seven: Angels and Demons**

At seven after ten in the morning, Romano strutted into the meeting being held between Germany and Italy. Gilbert, though not as uptight as his sibling, was by now thoroughly annoyed with everything. Veneziano had come to the meeting quarter 'til ten, and his brother was even worse! What was _wrong _with these people? Didn't they know it was rude to be late for something like this? The meeting had been scheduled at _nine-thirty_!

The albino scowled darkly at the older Italian, wishing he could burn the other into ash with his red gaze. Romano stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the Eastern brother sitting across from his own brother. "What the hell are you doing here, you beer-guzzling bastard? Where's the potato bastard?"

Now, normally the Prussian didn't really mind when others made fun of him and his adoration for beer because he knew they were all just jealous of him anyway. But after the Italian had shown up almost forty minutes late to the meeting, Gilbert was not feeling so generous, nor forgiving.

"Do you have _any _idea what time it is?" he growled. "We were supposed to meet here at nine-thirty. _Nine-thirty_, you asshole! It's nearly ten after ten now! What's _wrong _with you?"

The older Italian flinched slightly, still obviously afraid of the German, but at the same time, he recovered quickly and sat down next to his brother, seemingly completely undisturbed. "Something very important came up while I was on my way here," Romano stuck his nose in the air. Veneziano looked curious.

"What could be more important than getting to this meeting; the one that _you're_ supposed to be hosting no less!" Gilbert growled. Honestly, how could West put up with these two? A newfound respect for his sibling came over the Prussian. He even almost vowed never to give Ludwig a hard time where the Italians were concerned.

The older Italian did not look impressed with the albino's aggression in the least, apparently under the false assumption that like Ludwig, Gilbert would not actually harm him in these negotiations. "If you _must_ know, I was stopped by an angel."

Gilbert's face fell. "An 'angel'," he repeated flatly.

"_Sí_, an angel. The most beautiful woman that I have ever beheld," Romano declared passionately, clutching his hands to his heart.

"_Ve_! What did she look like, _fratello_? What was she like?" Veneziano cried, apparently forgetting the meeting along with his brother. The German just sat still, unable to fathom the Italians' poor work ethic and their ability to push aside the important in favor of dwelling on the trivial.

"_Chigi_, she was gorgeous!" the southern half of the nation sighed. "Her eyes were more striking than sapphires, her hair purer than gold. She had the face of an angel, so innocent and fresh."

While both Italians were drooling over the woman Romano had probably made up, the albino took it upon himself to slam his head into the table. He didn't need this. He really didn't. Not after what had happened last night and early this morning.

All this talk of the perfect woman got the old nation thinking about Ludwig; about his _sister_. The woman Romano was lusting after probably didn't hold a candle to Ludwig now. It still surprised the albino how attractive the younger German had become since turning into a woman. The girl was the embodiment of temptation itself! There were times when he had to fight with himself not to just sit there and stare at her. And there were even times when he would slip and his lustful thoughts would be voiced, like when he had told her that they should shower together.

A shiver ran down Gilbert's spine at the thought. It was just too appealing a fantasy. But what had been worse still was the fact that Ludwig had _insisted _on sleeping in the same bed. Did she honestly not realize how utterly terrible that idea had been? The whole night Gilbert hadn't been able to sleep because there was an attractive woman in nothing but a nearly see-through silk nightgown that hugged along her curves just right, sleeping next to him.

Every instinct had told Gilbert to just go for it, to attack her, make her his, but those barbaric instincts were always pushed down because of one crucial fact: _that was his sister_. Perhaps not a sister by blood, but a sister in spirit. And if that weren't enough to dissuade him, the fact that this unbearably alluring woman had been a man not too long ago and still very much saw herself as such, should have shut him down completely.

So, the albino had fought back all primitive male instincts and had tried to go to sleep and tried to think of his _brother _sleeping next to him and not his sister. It had worked for a little bit; that is, until Gilbert had woken up when he had gotten too hot. And what had been the cause of his uncomfortable temperature? Why, none other than a beautiful woman flushed up against him so tightly, her new, spectacular ass was pushed right up against his awesome five meters.

_That_ had been the breaking point. It was almost too much to control. He'd _had _to get away from her. She was torturing him. So many lustful thoughts flashed through the albino's mind that he wondered if he were not still dreaming. He could not take it anymore. She was just too awesome now for him to withstand. He _had _to do something. And since he couldn't just take her right then and there, Gilbert had carefully disentangled himself from the girl and had gone to take a cold shower.

The shower had the desirable affect he'd been hoping it'd have. It cooled off the burning in his blood and gave him a moment to think. He couldn't understand why he was so attracted to Ludwig. He _shouldn't _be. Ludwig was his sibling, whether it be brother or sister, and as such, Gilbert should _not _be this aroused by her. He very nearly exploded in there with want! That wasn't how big brothers should feel after their younger siblings! What the hell was wrong with him?

It was just lust and that was all. Gilbert hadn't been with anyone for a long time. Almost a lifetime if he weren't so proud and admitted it. Under the Soviet, he had been watched closely and didn't really have much of a desire to go out and initiate a relationship of any kind. And if that wasn't a good enough excuse, the fact that he didn't want to risk anyone he got close to, to get hurt because of a certain giant snowman really played a more significant role in it. After the reunification of German, he had just been too tired and hurt to really get out and go about the town on the prowl for women. He had been more focused on healing and getting use to the Western ideologies again, as well as no longer being his own nation.

It had only been in recent years that Gilbert had become more like his old, normal self and had started to regain his previously cocky, cynical manner. But it was unfortunate that when his attitude and disposition had finally gone back to the way it had been, and he became interested more so in procuring a women's good affections, that he was suddenly dealt with having a goddess-like sister that tempted him more than any other woman he could remember ever had. It was the cruelest irony.

Once he had gotten out of the shower and sat up in bed, what had happened do you think? Ludwig had woken up and started to talk to him in a husky, sleep laden voice. _That _had been bad. He had not meant to wake her up at all, but he'd forgotten what a light sleeper the blonde was. It was annoying at times, though it had saved them both in the past.

But what had been worse was the fact that once they had started talking, she sensed something was wrong and mistook it for him dreaming about the Soviet occupation and the Wall. Gilbert hadn't dreamed about that in a while, his brain being overloaded with thoughts of his sister, but he had felt bad seeing her look so worried. But there was _no _way in hell he was going to tell her what he _really _had been doing! He might as well shoot himself in the face!

And snuggling back down in bed with her had broken nearly all of his reserves. Gilbert was sure it had been unconsciously done, but Ludwig had snuggled up close to his chest again as she fell back into a light sleep, and the albino had been forced to just lie there and watch her, his mind _far _too busy to think about sleep.

To top off this _wonderful _day, it seemed that he was going to have to endure the stupidity of the lusting Italians across from him. Life really didn't seem to be on his side lately. This whole Ludwig turning into a chick thing sucked. Although, in a small, dark corner of his mind, Gilbert was secretly pleased and didn't give up hope of seeing the blonde in the lingerie he'd bought for her, but all this still sort of sucked.

"All right!" Gilbert yelled, slamming his hands down on the table in a suspiciously Germany-like manner. "Enough. Can we just get on with this? I don't want to be here all day, you know."

The older Italian looked over at the German with a startled expression before it smoothed over into dislike once again. "Where _is _the potato-bastard, anyway? You never did say."

Sighing, the albino massaged his temples gently. "West hasn't been feeling like himself lately," Gilbert responded. "He needed some time to himself."

"Poor _Germania_!" Veneziano cried. "Maybe we should go visit him and cheer him up!"

"_Nein_," Gilbert growled. "The _last _thing West wants right now is for you to go racing to him. What he'd want is for this meeting to get finished."

"You potato-suckers are so bossy," Romano snorted. "Maybe if you got the sticks out of your asses, you would realize that not everything is about working. _Chigi_, you German-bastards are so stupid that you don't even know how to feel like yourselves!" he rolled his eyes.

The albino's eye twitched. Briefly he wondered if Antonio would kill him if he mangled the sassy Italian. The Spaniard probably would…though it was still tempting…

Why did he have to be here right now with these two? By all rights he shouldn't be here. If things had been normal, he would probably be drinking a beer right now, having just gotten done with a shower. After that, he would probably just watch some TV or play video games, and then feed and brush Gilbird. Yeah, that was the good life, where he didn't necessarily have to do anything all day except what he wanted, and just wait for West to come home with beer. That was the best.

…But at the same time, it was nice to actually have a more strict schedule, to have structure to his days again. Although he hadn't really done much these days, he still tried to keep himself on some sort of agenda. He usually came home from a night at the bar around four in the morning, then slept until about nine thirty or so, did a few things, would take a nap in the afternoon, and then get ready for another night out.

Oh, Ludwig always thought that when Gilbert went out, he was actually drinking and finding somewhere to loiter or something else equally as terrible, but the truth was, the albino actually went out to work _at _the bar every couple of days throughout the week. Truth was, as the nation of Prussia, he had never had time to be so idle, and now that he did…well, he didn't like it much. There was still a part of him that longed to be employed, to be useful, without having to worry about the stress of nationhood. Let Ludwig take care of that, that's what the younger nation wanted anyway.

So, while Gilbert didn't like _this _specific meeting work every day, it was still sort of nice to get back into a routine he'd been forced into nearly his entire existence. It was sort of nice to have a really say, to have this sort of power again. Really, when was the last time he had had such total control? Had it really last been in 1918…?

But none of that was the point! The point was that at the moment, he was stuck in a conference with two Italians that seemed more interested in going women hunting than negotiating trade agreements. That was _not _good. Prussia had had little dealings with the Italians before the Empire had been created, and then after the First World War, West had taken over most affairs and Gilbert had gotten to know the Italians better after that.

"Okay!"Gilbert growled. "Fine, yeah, Germans are stiff and humorless, and we have no idea about emotions. I get it. Whatever. Can we just get on with business now? You can talk about women later."

"_Ve, _you're not humorless, Gilbert," Feliciano cocked his head to the side, as though confused. "You laugh all the time! Not like Ludwig."

"That's because this beer-guzzler is Prussia." Romano's face scrunched up with distaste. "Everyone knows that Prussians are their own special _breed _of yodeling idiots."

"But _fratello_, I thought yodeling was something Switzerland did more," Veneziano asked innocently.

"Whatever, they're the same thing, pretty much."

"_Halt die clappe!_" At last, Gilbert had come to the end of his rope. He couldn't take this stupidity anymore. He was angry that the Italians were late, he was tired from staying up almost all night, he was frustrated about his confused feelings for Ludwig, and he was _furious _with Romano for insulting him like this, like he wasn't even _there_. "I don't have to take this shit from you!" the older nation hissed. "Now, sit your asses down, shut the hell up, and let's get some work done!"

Both Italians looked over at the albino, stunned, before both nodded urgently, fear in their dark eyes. "_Gut. _Now, sit!"

Instantly, the two brothers sat, almost completely missing their seats in their haste. They sat quietly, looking at the German expectantly with a little fear lingering in their eyes. It was the sort of look he'd always gotten in the past when he was a proper state. It sent a wave of excitement through the albino and a sinister smirk slipped onto his lips.

Maybe this meeting would go better than he'd thought…?

**oOoOoOo**

Seven hours later found Gilbert dragging what remained of himself back to the hotel suite. Well, the meeting had lasted longer than the Prussian had wanted it to. The Italians had learned to fear him towards the beginning of the meeting, it had served to be both productive and counterproductive. While he could keep a rather tight control over them, but when they did act up and Gilbert would have to yell at them, they would begin to cry and it took _forever _to get them calmed down again. Seriously, how did those two manage to run a country?

"West, are you back?" Gilbert called. "West?" he whined.

The ex-nation wandered farther into the hotel room and found the blonde sitting by the window. The girl didn't respond to the albino's yelling. Instead, Ludwig seemed to think that something outside was much more important than _Gilbert_, and that simply would not do. Not at all!

"Oi, _Westen_! I'm home, and I had a terrible day! Go get me a beer from the mini fridge or something!"

Something very strange happened after that. For the first time since Gilbert could remember knowing Ludwig— and he knew him for over a thousand years— the blonde didn't turn and glare, didn't start yelling about manners, or about how it wasn't fair to be treated like a slave just because she was younger, or anything like that at all. Instead, Ludwig kept her back firmly turned to face the confused albino.

"West?" Gilbert closed the door and wandered into the room to where his sister sat overlooking the city. "West, are you okay?"

"What time is it?" the girl asked instead.

"It's after five," Gilbert frowned. "West? What's up with you? You're acting… weird."

"And how should I be acting?" Ludwig turned around to glare full force at her brother. It took the other by surprise. "Am I supposed to be waiting for you to get home with a beer in hand, just waiting for you to tell me about your day? Was I supposed to clean the house and have dinner waiting for you? Am I supposed to be doing laundry and have it all folded up for you? Sorry to disappoint you, but I didn't do anything like that, so you can just shut up right now."

It took a moment for the speech to register in Gilbert's mind, but once it did, he found himself mad. "What the hell's your problem?" he snapped. "I had the worst meeting experience of my life today, all because _you _were too chicken to let people see you like this, and I come home after doing all your fucking work, and all I do is ask for a beer, and you jump down my throat!"

"You didn't _ask, _you _demanded_," Ludwig's cheeks flushed with anger, and for just a moment, Gilbert found himself staring. "I am _not _yourslave, _Bruder_, and I _don't _have to answer to you! I can take care of myself, I don't need you! I'm not weak and fragile now! I don't need a man around to watch after me, _verdammt_!"

As Ludwig fought to control herself, the albino just sat blinking. "'A man'?" he asked carefully. In an instant, the blonde's face fell, and the girl quickly turned to resume looking out the window. "I thought you always complained to me that you _were _'a man'?"

Germany refused to look at the other, but the albino could see the girl battling with herself. "I just… well… I suppose I've just… don't a lot of thinking today."

Intrigued, the older nation found himself scooting closer to his sibling. "What about?"

Again, the blonde blushed, scowling fiercely. "Just that… I don't want to talk about this!" she stood up and began walking away towards the bedroom.

"No way, get back here!" Gilbert caught her wrist before she could think of some clever excuse and slip out or something. West had always been awesome at those, even when she had been little. "Sit here and explain yourself."

The two siblings ended up sitting on the edge of the bed, one frowning, the other scowling. They sat in a stubborn silence for several minutes before the blonde finally sighed. "Well, it's just that today, when I was walking, I realized that…that no one sees me the same anymore."

"Well, yeah, West, you're a girl now."

While Gilbert might have loved Ludwig with all his heart and only wanted the best for the younger nation, he still lacked the incredibly important delicacy when it came to speaking about touchy subjects. The problem with both Germans, actually, was the fact that while Romano's stereotypical persona of Germans may have been insulting and untrue for many, the fact was the Gilbert and Ludwig were the personifications of the German people, and as such, they were the embodiment of their people's stereotypes to a certain degree, like all nations. So in times like these, when the greatest care was needed for such a tactful conversation of a personal matter, they were both quite useless.

So, that being the case, Gilbert's bluntness, which was usually appreciated by his younger sibling, was not what the other wanted to hear at the moment. It was actually the one thing that Ludwig did _not _want to hear her brother voice. But when he did say it, the albino instantly knew he had done something wrong as her face fell, and she looked down at her hands, deject.

"That's just it, I _am _a girl now," she said quietly. "I walked around all day, had men come up to me and flirt and talk to me like I was nothing but a helpless little girl or something." Her nose scrunched up with distain at admitting this.

Gilbert threw his arm over his sister's shoulder, trying to comfort her as best as he could. He had never been very good at the whole comfort thing. It had come easier when Germany had been a child because some sort of parental-like instinct had always just come to him. But when Ludwig had grown up into a powerful young man—one that had even had the nerve to be _taller than_ his older brother, mind you— that instinct had faded by the wayside, and Gilbert found himself back at square one, that being completely inept to comfort someone else.

But what made this time more difficult than it would have been even a few weeks ago was the fact that Ludwig was an attractive woman that he was currently lusting after. It had not been all that hard for him to resort to physical comfort like it normally would have been. It was not difficult for him not to be concerned after her instantly rather than putting off panic in order to tease. The fact was Gilbert _wanted _to be close to her, _wanted _to make her feel better. Instincts came flooding to him, but they were a whole new set, and they confused him more than anything.

"W-well, you're not a helpless little girl, West," the albino struggled with coming up with something to say. "You're still West even though you're a girl now. I'm pretty sure you can still kick anyone's ass if you had the mind to, and you're still annoyingly smart," he smirked. "So you seriously should stop sitting here feeling sorry for yourself, because there's nothing wrong with you… plus I won't have anyone related to me acting so un-awesomely pathetic."

That seemed to brighten the German somewhat, but there was still a lingering air of depression about her. "I-I saw Romano today," she said quietly, not noticing how her brother stiffened. "He came right over to me, looked me in the eyes, and didn't know who I was…"

"Wait," Gilbert held up his hands for a moment. "Wait, you saw Romano this morning?" Ludwig nodded. "Did he offer to buy you a drink?"

The blonde cocked her head to the side, looking bewildered. It was actually an adorable action, and it only added the albino's mirth. "_Ja_," Ludwig nodded. "How did you—" but she never got the rest out.

In an instant, Gilbert was cackling hysterically. He was laughing so hard he doubled over and slipped off the end of the bed and to the floor. Ludwig quickly sat forward to look down at her brother in surprise, but the albino seemed to be laughing so hard he didn't notice his change in position yet. Tears were spilling from his red eyes, and he couldn't quite get enough air, though he kept on laughing as if he did.

"_Bruder_," the blonde scowled. "_Bruder, _what's so funny?" she demanded.

When the Prussian looked up into the pretty, pouting face of his sister, he couldn't help but believe what Romano had said. Ludwig did look like some sort of angel with all that pale gold hair haloing her head. She was gorgeous, and he couldn't help but giggle at thought. "_You_ were the one he was talking 'bout West," he finally managed.

"_Was_?" she looked more puzzled.

"Romano," he clarified, snickering as he imagined the love-sick expression the Italian wore when talking about Ludwig, and how hilarious it would be if he ever found out that he had been smitten by none other than _Germany_. "He-he came in today, late, and told us all how he had seen 'an angel from heaven; the most beautiful creature'," he quoted happily. He couldn't help but snicker again. "B-but it was j-just you the whole time!" he was sent into another cackling fit.

Because he was too busy laughing and being happy, Gilbert hadn't really noticed his sibling's disposition shift. If he had, he might have realized what would happen next, but he didn't. So when Ludwig's foot came slamming into the side of his head, the albino was taken completely by surprise. The fact that the blonde didn't at all hold back was something that Gilbert really should have seen coming too.

"OUCH!" he cried, holding his head with both hands, automatically curling in on himself a bit to protect himself from further attack. "What the hell, West! That hurt!"

"_Gut_, it was suppose to, asshole," she growled back.

"What's your problem?" the albino sat up, glaring back, though feeling his resolve to be furious with Ludwig begin to fade at seeing the amazing blue eyes light up with fire.

"_You're _my problem," Ludwig hissed. "You've _always_ been my problem. I mean, _Gott, _Gilbert, I've had a terrible day and you prod and prod and prod me about telling you, and when I do, you make fun of me the instant you find out what is wrong! I don't tell you things so you can turn around and laugh in my face about it!"

That hurt. For some reason, that really hurt. Gilbert never wanted to make Ludwig really angry. Sure, maybe be a little annoyed because that's what good siblings did for one another, but never furious. The two were notorious for getting into fist fights or wrestle when they were angry with each other, but in the end, they never really were that upset with each other and all was forgiven on both sides. But Gilbert had never stopped to think that maybe there were times when Ludwig actually _stayed _angry like this. He always thought this sort of attitude was a little exaggerated to get the albino to learn some sort of lesson. He hadn't realized that maybe he actually _did _hurt his sibling's feelings on a number of occasions.

"I wasn't laughing in your face," he protested weakly.

"You were laughing so hard you fell off the bed, _Bruder,_" the blonde huffed. "So I suppose you weren't once you were on the floor."

Well that stung too. "I didn't mean to laugh at _you_," Gilbert stood up, quickly trying to think of the best way to diffuse this situation. "It's just that, I mean, come on, West! You should have _seen _how Romano was acting all day, just because he'd seen you! It was hilarious! He'd _die _if he knew he'd been flirting with you."

The blonde sighed, shaking her head slightly, an act that the albino didn't like at all. "You really just don't get it, do you East?"

"What's there to get?" he pushed. He was confused. Why was all this suddenly a big deal? Sure, he knew West had been moody the last couple of days because of the big shock of becoming a woman, but he still could not understand why she seemed so sad and angry.

"Nothing," Germany said quietly. "Tell me about the meeting."

Still not convinced that his sister was back to normal—mentally normal, because it was pretty obvious she wasn't back to normal, normal yet— Gilbert told her about his day and meetings with the Italians anyway, watching what he said this time. He spared no detail about how excruciating he'd found it to sit there for hours on end trying to work with the two halves of the nation. Ludwig just sat still, looking through all the documents while nodding every once and a while to indicate that she was listening.

"And then when _that _was finally done and over with for the day, I called it quits and came here," Gilbert finished. "Seriously, West, how _do _you put up with those two all of the damn time? They're worse than watching Russia try to stretch Latvia out because he thinks the kid's too short."

Germany snorted at the image, but didn't dignify it with a response. "The best approach with the Italians is to keep them busy, keep things moving as fast as possible and give them small breaks in between each deal or else they'll whine about being hungry."

"I didn't think of the small breaks," the albino admitted. "Though my evil-eye sure put them in their place when they started acting up. Kesesesesese! It was awesome."

"Of course it was," Ludwig muttered, while still looking through papers. "So tomorrow you should be done a little sooner, _ja_?"

"_Ja_, three o'clock at the latest," Gilbert nodded. "Lord knows I can't put up with them longer than that."

The blonde actually chuckled a bit. It took the older nation off guard. It was the first time that he had heard Ludwig laugh as a woman. It was quite a pleasing sound, actually, one that the albino found he wouldn't mind hearing again. His innards suddenly felt very warm and the little endorphins in his head began dancing about, leaving him feel very good about life in general.

Lucky for him, Ludwig wasn't paying much attention to her brother at the moment as she kept scanning over forms. She completely missed the stupidly happy expression on her brother's face, allowing Gilbert to right himself quickly.

"Well, it'll all be over soon," she smiled into the documentation. "They're annoying to be sure, but if you just ignore the stupid remarks they're both prone to say and keep to the matters at hand, things get done much more quickly."

"Right," Gilbert nodded, a blush painting his pale cheeks. "Good advice." Why did his sister have to be so damn cute?

The two sat together a little longer working before they ordered in some more food. They ate while watching some other horrible movie that neither one really understood the plot to, before they decided to get ready for bed. Over all, it was a nice enough evening, their little spat from earlier pushed aside, though not forgotten. It was just their way, and tensions were once again back down between them.

When Ludwig was in the bathroom, however, getting ready, Gilbert was a nervous wreck. He didn't want her to come out and come to bed with him again. Last night had been excruciating, tonight would probably kill him if he didn't do something to stop it.

He could always sleep on the couch! … but then West would ask why and probably get him to come to the bed anyway, tell him the couch would be terrible for his back. He could say that the bed was too soft and just sleep on the floor! …but then Gilbert hated sleeping on the floor. He might not have been a clean freak like his sister, but even the Prussian thought it was gross to sleep on the floor of a hotel room. Who knew what weird kinds of people stepped here, bring in their weird germs and such? That was completely disgusting and un-awesome. He didn't even let Gilbird sleep on the floor at home, not even when West scrubbed the hell out of them.

Sighing, the albino resigned himself to a night of torture. There was no way he would be sleeping tonight, not even when he was starved for it. He was so tired, yet he wasn't sure he could close his eyes knowing that there was a smoking hot West sleeping right there next to him.

When Ludwig finally did come out of the bathroom, her hair was damp and her night dress was clinging to her skin in all the deliciously wrong ways. The albino gulped, feeling his throat go dry as she sashayed over to the bed. Why did she have to think of him as a brother?

"Is something wrong, _Bruder_?" the blonde asked as she got to the foot of the bed to dispose of her dirty clothes.

"H-huh? Oh, no, I'm fine," Gilbert managed to get out, though it was stiff.

"Are you sure?" Ludwig pressed as she slide under the covers next to him. "You're looking…flushed."

_Think about dead chicks, think about drowning kittens, think about spilt beer, but for God's sake _don't_ think about her! _he screamed at himself. "_J-ja_, I'm fine. It's just a little… warm in here."

"Is it?" Ludwig frowned thoughtfully. "Should I open a window?"

_You're looking like this on purpose! _"No, it'll be okay. Uh, goodnight, West," he said quickly, hoping that she'd just turn out the lights and stop talking.

"England's coming tomorrow, right, _Bruder_?" The hopefulness in her voice wasn't hard to miss.

"Right," Gilbert laid on his side, away from his sister so she hopefully wouldn't notice the albino's very embarrassing situation that had currently sprung up.

"_Gut_." He felt the girl snuggle in under the covers before turning off the lights. "_Gute Nacht_, _Bruder._"

Gilbert merely grunted a reply.

It was hard to sleep with Ludwig right there. It was hard to think of anything that wasn't centered on the girl. He was confused and frustrated with himself. He was Germany's big brother, after all. He shouldn't be getting aroused by her! It wasn't right!

After several hours, when he was certain Ludwig was asleep, Gilbert turned on his other side to watch the girl sleep. She really did look angelic this way, her pale hair and skin nearly glowing against the pillow. Before he could stop himself, Gilbert reached out and stroked a fair lock with his fingers, as he whispered, "But I'm not your brother."

Up in Heaven, Germania frowned, knowing that things would be much more complicated from now on.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Well, this was written in celebrating my sister's wedding this weekend! …Weird, considering that weddings are happy, and neither Gilbert nor Ludwig were too happy here…Oh well. Hope you all figured out what was really bothering Gilbert last chapter. ;)

**Next Up: **England! :D

Drop me a review on your way out if you'd be so kind! Reviews feed hungry authors, you know. Thanks!


	9. Chapter 8: One More Conspirator

**Chapter Eight: One More Conspirator **

The next morning Ludwig woke up to something heavy wrapped around her. At first she had thought perhaps it was just the blanket, it having gotten too hot over the course of the night from the two bodies that were sharing the same bed, but then, when she became more aware, she realized that blankets weren't usually heavy like this. There was something _else _that was lying on her.

Blinking several time to get the sleep out of her eyes, the blonde looked down at her chest and midsection, where the pressure was. There was something long and pale wrapping around her, and she followed the trail to the source of the weight. It was an arm, an arm that was attached to her brother, who apparently liked spooning when unconscious.

Ludwig almost closed her eyes and went back to sleep when she realized one very important detail: there was weight on her _chest. _Slowing looking back down, the girl realized that her older brother had a handful of her breast.

A fantastic blush spread across her face faster than an Italian could run from English troops. She snapped her eyes back up and over to her brother, wondering if Gilbert was just trying to be a pervert and mess with her head. But when she looked back, she realized that the albino was truly still sleeping, his mouth open slightly, and he was drooling. Gilbert hated the fact that he drooled and never wanted to admit it, saying things like, "the awesome don't drool" or something along those lines. So the fact that he _was_ slobbering all over his pillow with his face in it, confirmed to Ludwig that her brother really was asleep, unaware of his actions.

Knowing this, however, did not get rid of her blush. Instead, the blonde tried to dislodge the offending hand away from her new member, careful not to wake him. But the moment she touched Gilbert's hand with her own smaller, the albino made a noise. It wasn't a sigh, it wasn't a moan of sorts, it wasn't any sort of noise Ludwig would expect of the once Great Prussia.

It had been a whimper. Or nearly a whimper, at least. There was no real word to describe what it had been. It wasn't quite a whimper, but there was no other word to describe it. Was he having a bad dream? Was he dreaming of something sad? Seeing the scrunched face of her brother, it looked as though he were in pain…but it wasn't really pain either, it was like he was…uncomfortable.

Whatever was running through the albino's mind at the moment, it wasn't necessarily pleasant. Gilbert had gone through a lot in his life; and Ludwig wasn't even sure just exactly how _old _her brother was! Maybe he was dreaming about the old days, the "ancient" times?

Soon enough, however, the pale face smoothed over and Gilbert looked to be sleeping peaceful. All thoughts of moving and twisting out of her brother's grasp fled at that serene expression. It really would be heartless of her to squirm away and chance waking him. That would just be terrible of her. So, resolved to not waking him, Ludwig tenderly moved his hand away from her breast and settled it on her stomach. She knew she couldn't risk moving the arm completely off of her.

Her blush continued to burn her face, but Ludwig managed to relax her body again and just decided to settle in. It wasn't like she and Gilbert had never done something like this before. The older German used to sleep with her and wrap around her to keep warm. But that had been years ago when Ludwig had still been very small, and it had stopped completely when she had gotten older and Prussia had pushed her harder and harder, making her into the Empire.

The infuriating flush on her cheeks only worsened when a single thought came to her mind. Were she and Gilbert…snuggling?

No! Ludwig did _not _snuggle. Germany was known for being tough and badass all the time; the type that liked leather and crops, _not _for snuggling! No this was…this was to keep warm…not that she was actually cold, but there was no other excuse she could think of at the moment. Perhaps Gilbert was cold? Yeah, that sounded pretty good. They _weren't _spooning or cuddling for the hell of it, there was a reason, it was for their very survival, because Gilbert was cold.

There now, that sounded pretty good to Ludwig, so when her logic was sound, she just gave into the comfortable arrangement and decided to close her eyes and try to go back to sleep. Gilbert, still snoring and drooling away, pulled her closer to him, almost squeezing her too tightly. "Mmm…_Westen_," he muttered, a stupid smile on his face.

The blonde looked back at her brother a moment and despite her earlier annoyance and desire to slap the older nation, her heart melted at the sight she saw. Gilbert might have been an idiot nearly ninety percent of the time, but he was _her _idiot, and always would be. No matter what, they were still brothers— brother and sister temporarily— and nothing could ever change that. A smile crept onto her face without her say, and she couldn't quite believe how cute he looked like that, all cuddled up into the blankets with her—

Wait, had Ludwig really just thought Gilbert looked…cute? Germany turned away from the other quickly to hide her blush, though she was pretty sure her brother could have seen it if he were awake as it was creeping onto the back of her neck she was so mortified. You didn't think that sort of thing about your older brother! That was just weird, to say the least. That's the kind of crap Belarus would think about!

…But then again, was it different now that Ludwig was a woman?

Over her many years of existence, Ludwig had often heard women talking about their "cute" brothers. Ukraine often exclaimed to the world how adorable she thought Russia was— no one had the heart to tell her otherwise— and Belgium often commented on how wonderful the Netherlands looked. Perhaps being a woman now meant that she could get away with some things that she couldn't have if she had been a man. That was a possibility she had never once considered.

Gilbert's squirming continued and he kept pulling Ludwig closer, as though she were too far away. He began whining, pouting out his lips, and the blonde managed to turn over so that she was facing her brother. She watched as his face scrunched up in agitation. "Stop looking at me like that, West," the albino muttered.

Smirking, Ludwig couldn't help but burst her brother's dream. It was pretty funny to catch Gilbert in his dreams. She'd done it once when they were still the Empire when she had caught the older personification dreaming about Hungary and her frying pan. It had been rather hilarious to see the terror in his eyes when he'd woken up, believing that the woman had been there with him, hell bent on mutilating him with her dangerous kitchen utensil. This time promised to be just as entertaining.

Making sure to get right next to his ear, the blonde whispered in a slightly husky voice, "How am I supposed to look at you, _Bruder_?"

The albino smiled once again stupidly, holding his little sister a bit closer before the red eyes snapped open, and Gilbert stared horrified at his sister. "Gah!" he pushed himself away, detangling his arms from around her. His sharp actions only served to throw off the Prussian's center of balance, and he nearly fell off the bed before he caught himself after wind-milling his arms about frantically.

On her part, Ludwig just started laughing. She couldn't help it. Gilbert had always been rather animated, and seeing him jump up, eyes as wide as they could go, nearly falling off the bed was just hysterical. Maybe it was a little mean spirited of her to laugh so much, but then again, Ludwig had always had a little bit of a mean-streak. The cynical was just something that the blonde had found she could appreciate.

When the albino seemed to calm, he glared at his sister, apparently furious with what she'd done. "What the hell is your problem?" he yelped, his voice had, for some reason, gone up an octave. It only served to make Germany laugh harder.

"_E-entschuldegen Sie_," she snickered, bowing her head slightly. "It's just…you were talking in your sleep, I couldn't help it."

It was a strange thing to think of an albino going pale, but Gilbert did. What little pigmentation he'd had was gone completely from his face, and he looked like a ghost. "I-I was? What was I talking about?" he asked, sounding nervous.

Ludwig smirked viciously, enjoying her brother's expression. Besides drooling, the Prussian would also never admit to talking in his sleep. Such things were unawesome. But when he was caught, it was so funny to watch what he would try to do or say to make excuses.

"Oh, nothing much," she said coyly, enjoying how the other gulped. "You were just talking about me."

Again Gilbert looked close to dying he was so embarrassed and…scared? "What did I say?" he snapped, pressing.

All fun and games stopped right then and there. Gilbert's sudden wake up had obviously left him in a bad mood. Ludwig knew when enough was enough—unlike her brother— and decided to ease the poor Prussian's torment. "You just told me to 'stop looking at you like that'," she explained. "Nothing more. I just thought it was funny."

Gilbert let out a breath of relief before he nodded. Ludwig wondered at her brother's reaction, but didn't say anything about it. Why would he freak out so much over what he'd said? Maybe in the dream he had been mad at her? What would he have to be mad at her about? Maybe it was just some random dream that couldn't be explained.

"Okay," he said after a moment. "Yeah well…I'm gunna go take a quick shower," he said, carefully getting up out of the bed.

Frowning, Ludwig stretched out like a cat before she laid back down, yawning. "Don't take too long. I have to get ready too," she sighed, closing her eyes. On meeting days, she always felt a little lazier and slept in a bit because the meetings were usually scheduled later in the morning than when she would normally have to go to work at home.

She didn't notice how Gilbert watched her as she stretched. Had she, Ludwig might have noticed the way Gilbert's face heated up and how when he stood up from the bed, he quickly ran to the bathroom. When the bathroom door was slammed shut, Ludwig opened her eyes again and scowled. "You didn't have to slam the door," she called after him.

Oh well. Gilbert was always a little thoughtless on things like that. It got tiresome, but it wasn't anything that Ludwig wasn't used to. He might have been annoying, but Gilbert was still a good person…most of the time…

Sighing, not wanting to get up, Ludwig sat up anyway and decided to pick out a disguise that she could wear for the day. Now, Germany had never been the type of guy that had ever wondered what it felt like to wear a dress or high heels or anything like that, but now that she was a woman, the blonde was finding out. In the back of her mind, Ludwig promised herself that she would never wear a dress or heels a gain once her meeting with Britain was complete and he was able to turn her back into her proper sex. How humiliating would it for someone to find out that _she,_ _Germany_ had been going around in a dress?

The girl shuddered at the thought but decided that if her brother and Britain were the only ones that found out she'd be okay. After all, Gilbert had some pretty good dirt on the island nation, which meant that Ludwig had access to it as well. Britain would hold his tongue or he would face German wrath.

Picking out the outfit for the day was fairly easy. The nice thing about Gilbert picking her out a few sundresses was that Ludwig looked like a random tourist, which was always good. And another was that putting on a dress took less time and effort than pants and a shirt. Wearing a dress was actually quite a freeing feeling, but for someone like Ludwig, that wasn't necessarily a good thing. She had always like security and yesterday, besides being so distressed about Romano not recognizing her, in the back of her mind, Germany had been concerned that the wind might blow up her long dress. How humiliating would that be?

Once she got all of her things together, Gilbert came out of the bathroom, hair still dripping in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. Normally Ludwig could care less about seeing her brother in such a state— after all, they had grown up together!— but for some reason, the girl's eyes were drawn to the other. It was probably just Gilbert's abnormally pale skin catching her eye, or maybe it was the large scar that ran down from his left shoulder to his right hip. Whatever it was, Ludwig turned and stared, her eyes glued to the other German, her brain suddenly sending out odd signals and leaving her paralyzed.

The albino bent over, rummaging through his suitcase for clothes and Ludwig's eyes remained on the other, her stomach feeling like it flipped over. "Hey West, have you seen my—" Gilbert straightened and turned, but Ludwig was helpless and could not avert her eyes.

When the older German turned, his red eyes focused on his sister, whose eyes were still fixed upon his abdomen, a wicked smirk crept onto his lips, and he narrowed his eyes playfully. "West," he purred, making Ludwig shiver. "Getting a good look there?"

The blonde immediately averted her eyes, blushing profusely. She wasn't sure why she was blushing, or why she had been looking in the first place, but the way Gilbert had said that… Well, she couldn't let him get any of the wrong ideas. "I was… your scar's still there?"

It was a lame excuse, but the only one she could think of on such short notice. Everyone knew that certain scars always stayed with a nation, like Ludwig had several nasty looking gashes from being split amongst the western nations when they had occupied Germany. This particular one of Gilbert's had come at his dissolution and from being split by the Soviet Union.

Gilbert looked down at his stomach and scowled at it. "Yeah," his eyes darkened. "Still there."

Ludwig regretted saying anything but wasn't sure what she could do to make the other feel better. So instead, she turned with her clothes and escaped to the bathroom. Once the door was closed, she hit her head against the wall. Why was wrong with her? Why the hell had she been staring at her brother like that? But just how _had _she been looking at him? She wasn't even sure she knew. But however she had been looking, she was pretty sure sisters or brothers weren't supposed to stare at their siblings like that.

Quickly, the girl changed her clothes foregoing glancing at the mirror, not wanting to see the woman's face that she knew was there. It would be gone soon anyway, because soon Britain would change her back into a man and she wouldn't have to worry about these confusing feelings again. Though in the back of her mind, there were still dark uncertainties that plagued her mind, making her wonder if she would ever see her man's face again. But she had to finish getting ready, and tried to forget about her dark thoughts by brushing her teeth and putting on deodorant.

When she came out, Gilbert was in black slacks that he had not yet buttoned up— probably so he could tuck in his shirt easier— and a white shirt that was left unbuttoned. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, Gilbird in his hands. "Hey West, have you…" he trailed off when he glanced up, ruby eyes taking on a glazed sort of look to them.

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, Ludwig scowled, fighting off the blush she felt coming on. "What?" she snapped.

"Huh?" the albino blinked several times, as though he hadn't realized he hadn't finished his sentence. "Oh! Um…I was just wondering if you'd seen Gilbird's feed."

"It was in the little baggy by your dresser last I saw," the girl muttered before turning to put the nightgown away. She didn't like the way Gilbert looked at her nowadays. It was probably why she was starting to look at him differently too.

But this was all beside the point! The point was that she had to find England when he arrived and Gilbert had to deal with the Italians until around one o'clock. After folding up her clothes, Ludwig turned to find her brother with the bag of birdseed and feeding his little pet from his hands.

It never ceased to amazing the blonde how her brother could dote upon that tiny little bird all the time. Prussia had always been a vicious, bold nation and had been known to be something akin to "a man's man" sort of nation, the sort of personification that took delight in battle. Yet, here was Gilbert, with a tiny unknown species chick of some sort that he cooed and coddled all the time. Ludwig always thought of birds as being so tiny and fragile, but Gilbert loved them for some reason. Germany decided to stick with her dogs.

After straightening up and finishing getting ready, Gilbert finally looked presentable, dressed in his best, before walking to the door with his briefcase in hand. "Look after Gilbird again for me, will ya?" he asked as he passed the little fluff ball over.

Ludwig nodded and cupped the bird in her hands. "Good luck," she smiled a bit at her brother.

"You too," he smiled in a way that made the girl's brain hurt. She just couldn't understand why or how she was responding to her brother now. But it didn't really matter. As she watched him go, she hoped that by this time tomorrow she would be a man again, and she could leave this confusing world of femininity behind.

**oOoOoOo**

The moment the plane had landed, Britain decided that he had a headache. It was a warm, sunny day in Italy, gorgeous by all accounts, and Arthur really wouldn't have minded spending some time in the southern European nation, but when he thought about having to deal with the two Italians and their constant bickering and blathering… Well, it really was enough to give anyone a headache. He would have much rather had just stayed at home and taken the day off rather than come to Italy and deal with those two.

Airports were such tedious and busy places, but for one that used to have to sail across the world every other week, Arthur didn't find it so bad. He had brought along some books to read on the trip, and he'd even had some tea on the flight over. It wasn't the best—by any means!— but he had appreciated the Italian's attempt to brew the drink. At least it had been hot, unlike last time.

After the airport, he'd been picked up and taken to his hotel. Rumor had it that the Italian brothers had rescheduled negotiations of some sort with the Germans, meaning Germany was probably skulking about somewhere. Normally Arthur didn't mind the other blonde so much, but there were also rumors flying that something had happened to Germany and the powerhouse nation had been sending his brother to do work for the past several days, which made the island nation suspicious.

Intrigued, England had strained his spy networks to try and find out what was going on, but sadly, no information had thus been found. The only confirmations he had gotten was that the Eastern brother had indeed been going to work for the dominate personification the past several days, and that he'd been sighted coming to Italy with a secretary of some sort. _Probably Germany's way of keeping tabs on his brother,_ Britain thought. _Poor girl. I do hope Germany means to reward her for such a task._

It really would not have mattered to Arthur if Ludwig was sick or something, as England had other things to worry about, but because the Germans were the largest economic power in Europe, and with all of this economic mess lately, the island nation was understandably worried. If Germany went down, then that meant that the rest of Europe would soon follow. It would be terrible! But seeing as Gilbert seemed quite all right and giddy, Arthur wasn't too concerned. After all if "Germany" was sick, that would mean _all _of "Germany" would be sick, the West as well as East.

So Arthur assumed that Ludwig's human side had fallen ill. It was rare for the human side of personifications to fall ill, but it wasn't completely unheard of. It seemed the most likely case seeing as the Germany government hadn't sent out any distress calls, or told anyone about their economic woes.

Once at the hotel, though, Britain flopped down on the bed and decided that his head hurt too much to even think about the possibility of a German economic crisis, or what it would entail should such a tragedy occur. Instead, England resolved to think of happier thoughts. He wished he had brought along his magical friends to keep him company, but sadly, whenever they came with him, people tended to believe he was barmy. Him! Great Britain, the United Kingdom! It was insulting. Just because they couldn't see magical creatures didn't mean that they didn't exist!

But there was little use getting worked up and frustrated about that. With the afternoon free to do as he pleased, Arthur decided that a time at the pool would be ideal. He could relax in the cool water, perhaps read a little, and be well rested for the meeting in the morning. And, with Germany, or his brother, at a meeting now, that meant that they would not be at the pool to disrupt his relaxation. It sounded perfect.

Changing quickly into his Dr. Who swim trunks—he only had them because America thought it'd be a funny present after his old green ones had "mysteriously" gone missing—England was ready and out the door in several minutes, a book in one hand and his Union Jack towel in the other. He was ready for some time alone.

The hotel pool was pretty empty as most of the Italians were on _siesta_ and the other tourists seemed to have gone sightseeing for the day. It made for the perfect environment. Setting his book down and spreading his towel out over a chair, Arthur smiled lightly before he went and dove into the water. It felt good to sit in the cool water, and he decided to swim a few laps. As he did, the Brit did his best to focus only on swimming and nothing else. It was hard for nations to pull themselves out of work and just enjoy life, much harder than it was for normal human beings. But as he was an older nation, Arthur managed to let go of all thoughts not pertaining to swimming, and was able to relax.

He became so submerged, in fact, that an hour past by without Arthur noticing. What had started out as the desire to swim a few laps turned into much more, and he decided it was best to quit for the time being. He didn't like drawing too much attention to the fact that he was a nation, as people tended to gawk or ask ridiculous questions. So, calmed and feeling pretty good about himself, Arthur made his way back towards the sun chair where he'd left his towel.

…Only, his towel wasn't _on _the chair he had left it on. Instead, there was a large German flag towel spread over it, and someone in a large sun hat sitting on it, reading _his _book, no less! Enraged, the now cranky Englishmen stomped over to the German, prepared to scream at how utterly rude they were being, and deciding to declare war upon them on the basis that his own proud towel had been discarded— folded neatly—on the ground, when he was stopped short by a pair of icy blue eyes under long, thick lashes.

The book was lowered further to reveal that the beautiful eyes rested in an equally beautiful face. It was a young woman that had decided to read his book and take his chair, a young, blonde haired, blue eyes German girl, apparently. For some reason it was hard for Arthur to hold on to his anger when he saw her. The girl really was gorgeous.

So, instead of unleashing his tirade about poor manners, Arthur ended up standing stupidly, only able to get out, "M-my towel."

The girl smirked at him wickedly, apparently knowing that she had made him angry and she was enjoying it. "What about it?" she answered back in heavily accented English.

Her voice was just as pretty as her face, and Arthur wasn't sure why he felt his throat tighten the way it did. Before he could answer, however, the girl chuckled. It wasn't high pitched or forced like some of the other women he'd had to deal with in the past. She apparently found the situation genuinely amusing. "I am sorry," she said again, standing up to her full height—which was nearly as tall as England's. "When I saw your towel, I went and got my brother's," she explained. "I thought it would get your attention."

"It did indeed," Arthur's voice rushed out of his throat. The girl cocked an eyebrow at him, and Arthur felt his face flush and he became self-conscience about being in nothing but swim trunks. He wasn't a bad looking man, if he could say so himself, but his many scars always made him a little apprehensive when he was around humans. They tended to stare. This girl, however, didn't even seem to notice them at all.

When he said nothing else, the girl, frowning a bit, and went on. "I would have a word with you, if I could. _Privately_."

Immediately, Arthur's face flushed. Was this girl…hitting on him? England hadn't ever really gotten involved with too many people over his long years, but he was pretty sure that this would count as someone coming on to him. A random stranger, too! He wasn't sure if he was more thrilled or frightened. "O-of course!" he tried to smile as best as he could, hoping he looked charming despite the fact that he was soaking wet. "I-I would have to change first, though…"

"No need," the girl shook her head, a pale strand of hair falling between her eyes, in which she brushed back, apparently annoyed with it. "We can speak over there, if we could."

"Fine, fine," Britain nodded quickly. "Super."

The girl raised a brow at him again before handing him his towel. He suddenly felt a little foolish for having such a large towel with his flag on it. If this was going to go anywhere with this girl, he didn't want her to feel like he was cramming his culture down her throat, which would be very hard considering he _was _the United Kingdom. But then again, her towel with the German flag was equally as large. She had said that towel was her brother's, so maybe his flag had attracter her? That was an exciting thought! But then she had said she had a brother…

Unconsciously, Arthur began scanning the area for another German. Maybe the girl's brother was younger? It's not that he was afraid the girl's brother would beat him up or something like that, it was more that he didn't want to cause a scene. But whatever. Today was his vacation type day, so if he wanted to flirt around with a pretty German then he could, and he would try not to let anything bother him.

The two walked to a table away from the pool and the few other people that were there, and sat down under the shade the umbrella provided. England tried to play it cool and act casual, but the girl was watching him intently, her cold eyes sharp. It reminded Arthur of someone, but he couldn't place who, as he was too worried about trying not to make a fool of himself.

"You do not have to worry about hiding your identity, England, I know who you are," the girl said crisply, as though understanding his nervousness.

But her knowing him took the Brit off guard, and he laughed nervously to hide his surprise. "Of course you do," he nodded quickly. "Why wouldn't you know who I am? I mean, I know who you are too." He winced slightly after the lie.

Cold eyes suddenly lit up and came to life, sparkling so brilliantly that Arthur was sure the girl was some sort of elf. "Really? You do?" her voice held so much hopefulness that Arthur dearly wished his lie would never be discovered. "Very well then," the girl went on, her voice cheerful, yet dutiful, like she had a mission to complete. "As you can tell, I need your help."

"With what?" Arthur frowned. What was she going on about? He was too confused to counter any of her fast, accented English.

The other blonde rolled her eyes, as though believing him to be sarcastic somehow. "Spare me your English wit," she drawled. "Do you know any magic that could have done this to me?"

Magic? The girl…was interested in magic? Arthur's attraction nearly doubled at the mention of his beloved art. He could hardly believe it! He had found a beautiful girl who knew what he was, seemed to be fluent in English, liked magic, and was _German_ no less! Oh how that smug bureaucrat Germany would be in conniptions if he knew one of his people was talking like this!

"Well," Arthur said smoothly, putting on his most charming smile. "My family's magic is the best in the world," he bragged, loving how the girl's eyes brightened. "Tell me what your problem is and I'm _sure _I'll be able to help you."

And just when he began to feel confident, the girl's face fell. "My problem?" she frowned. "Isn't it obvious?"

"W-well, I'll need to be completely sure I know what it is," he rushed, not wanting to miss this chance of flirting and boasting. He liked doing both very much. "Go on, tell me everything and I'll help you."

The girl's frowned darkened before she turned away and sighed. "You have no idea who I really am, do you?" she asked, almost disappointedly.

And the lie was found out. This girl knew him, but she seemed to think that he should know her in return. What was he to say to that? "I've met a lot of people over my long life," Arthur tried to reason. "Sometimes names escape even us nations. Remind me of yours again?"

Damn, he didn't want to end what had first seemed like a very promising beginning. This was the first girl in a _long _time that had come on to him, and he was not about to miss his chance! He needed to save the situation!

The girl sat scowling, suddenly looking irritated, like she was insulted he didn't know her. In all honestly, though, if they'd ever met before, she obviously didn't say much or get his attention since Britain was fairly certain he would have remembered a pretty German woman that liked magic if she'd made an effort to talk to him, like now.

"It's me, Arthur," the girl said quietly, surprising the Brit with the use of his personal name. "It's Ludwig. Ludwig Beilschmidt."

The Englishman sat still, mouth agape. "G-Germany?" he squeaked. "By God, what's happened to you?"

"_Gott in Himmel_, lower your voice!" the girl snapped, leaning forward, slapping her hand over the other nation's mouth. "You want the whole of Italy to hear you?"

Removing the other's hands gently, Arthur held it in his, marveling at how petit the other's hands were now, and how elegant. "My God," he breathed, setting it down before leaning forward to look at Germany's face more closely. "You've been completely transformed, haven't you?"

Germany sighed. "I have," she nodded.

"How? Why?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that," she looked worried. "It happened a few days ago. I went to sleep the night before as a man, but when I woke in the morning, I was...well, like this. Can you help me?"

Still marveling, Britain began looking at the other blonde more like a science experiment than a person, a nasty habit he got when interested in a particular subject. "Hmm," he hummed slightly, leaning forward to touch Germany's face like that of a scientist handling potentially dangerous matter. "I'm not sure. This is very strange. I've never seen a person turn into the opposite sex before. An animal, yes, different sex, no. I'm sure there's a spell out there somewhere that I can find to turn you back."

Arthur watched as the girl slumped back in her chair, looking more like an American than a European for a moment. "_Gut_," she nodded. "I'd be most grateful."

"Come with me," he stood up. "We need to talk somewhere more private, I think. Now, tell me everything you know."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Hello again. Sorry for the slight delay. University hasn't been so kind to me lately… and Shakespeare's been a real pain in the bum. But I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Yay for Britain and his terrible flirting skills! :D I read this REALLY terrible article the other day about the best and worst lovers, and apparently English people are supposed to be terrible. I don't buy it, honestly, but when I thought of a nervous, slightly awkward Arthur, I loved the idea of it~ But you'll see more of him next chapter. One more has been added to the conspiracy! XD

BIG thanks to DA4TheFunOfIt for the idea of having a slight Towel War meeting between England and Germany. ^^ Thanks you! You're awesome!

Please drop me a review on the way out, if you'd be so kind! I'd appreciate it.


	10. Chapter 9: Mum's the Word

**Chapter Nine: Mum's the Word**

That afternoon, after the extremely _long _and painful meeting with the Italians, Gilbert dragged himself back to the hotel room, tired and just wanting to take a nap. The meeting went well enough, but there was just something about the Italians' lax manners that really bothered him. His old stricter upbringing was starting to kick into full mode again, and he was a little worried he was acting the way West usually did; boring and uptight.

He was East Germany now, and the East was awesome and was not the one that usually worried about anything. He was the partier, the one that drank until he couldn't feel his lips anymore. It was a little surprising that he was starting to slip back into the old Prussian mentality, even after nearly seventy years. _Just proves how awesome Prussia was if I can still feel its connection, _he thought with a bitter smile.

There were days when Gilbert really missed being his own country, or rather, having his own land named after his once awesome country. He had been with West since 1871, but in those years since, he did not regret a moment of his time with his younger sibling. It was just after the Second World War, when they had been separated and his name dissolved, that his lack of land and proper name bothered him the most.

But he knew he should be happy. It was that his name was dissolved that bothered him the most. Maybe people didn't even remember what "Prussia" was. He'd asked a young girl once, and she had told him that "it was pronounced Russia." After that, he hadn't felt much like talking to anyone and had locked himself in his room for half the day. What bothered him was that no one seemed to remember how great he had once been…

But he knew he should be happy. He was still alive—because of his awesomeness no doubt—and he still had Ludwig after all this time. Even when they had been separated and controlled so severely, even when the blonde knew that it went against the rules, Ludwig had always made sure he found a way to send letters over to him from the west. Gilbert still wasn't sure how his sneaky younger sibling had managed the feat, but he was nevertheless pleased. Despite all of his embarrassment over the issue, how much he might try and quiet the fact, Ludwig loved him, and it really didn't matter to the albino if everyone else in the world hated him or even if Gilbird flew away and never came back, just as long as he had West and Ludwig loved him, that was enough.

…though Gilbert still really loved being praised and thought Gilbird was the greatest thing since the invention and introduction of beer.

As he walked up the stairs, foregoing the elevator, to get to his room, Gilbert paused, his mind swimming with images of Ludwig. The albino could still remember the day Germania had brought him home and introduced him to his heir, a little boy that would soon be known as the Holy Roman Empire. Ludwig had been so cute then, just a little bitty thing that was so shy. Germania had told his son to be nice and treat Prussia just like a brother, and surprisingly, that's just what the Holy Roman Empire did…

The bickering and fighting and attacking one another had been quite legendary throughout the German-speaking world at one point. Gilbert and Ludwig had been quite the hellions when they were younger, just like any brothers would be. It didn't matter to them if they were blood related or not, they fought like true siblings in any case. It was when Gilbert had thought he would _never_ like younger nation when Germania had made him promise to look after the boy when he was gone. And remembering all that Germania had done for him, Gilbert had agreed.

It had not been long after that Germania had faded away and Holy Roman Empire took hold of the Germans with Charlemagne, and despite his distrust of Christianity, Prussia had tried to watch out for the younger personification regardless of their differences. But that had led to more fighting until one day Holy Rome had attacked Prussia with his Teutonic Knights and basically gave the albino over to them. Tensions between the two had lasted a little long before Gilbert got into the routine of being a Christian and how being under Holy Rome went. Surprisingly their bond grew after that and they got along for the most part after Holy Rome's initially cruel and power-hungry quest seemed quenched. They took to calling one another brother, even when Prussia separated and became his own proper country

And then after Holy Rome went away, Gilbert had been left with the same boy without any memories. Truth be told, he liked Ludwig better after 1806 for the sake that the boy had a major attitude adjustment. Gone was the blonde that believed he was greater than he was, and entered a boy that looked up to and adored Prussia. It was wonderful, and Gilbert doted on the boy, made him his brother, and cared for him as Germania would have wanted.

Prussia's love for the child went as far as forming an empire with him again in 1871 and then following in him into World Wars I and II. But these final chapters in Gilbert's life so far took a new turn. As he thought of the strong, confident young man Ludwig had been, how grownup and powerful the blonde had become, made the older nation feel very proud of the younger nation. German land had always been attractive to him, the culture of the people, the language, everything that his own people had shared with Germany's had charmed the albino. Gilbert loved his brother, there was no doubt about it. He loved everything about the younger German.

…but that was just the problem. The love and devotion the older nation held for his brother was now changing directions, and rapidly. He had always known that Ludwig was attractive, he had seen the women react to him, but now that Ludwig was a woman, she seemed to hold the same power, only over men, and for whatever reason, whatever cruel joke, Gilbert was not immune to her. Everything that he had loved about Germany as a man was slowly shifting into something else completely; his love was changing somehow. For some reason or another, Gilbert found himself inexplicitly drawn and aroused by her.

Sighing, Gilbert walked to his room and took out the key. When he opened the door, all he wanted was to see the pretty face of his little sister and drink a beer. But when he walked into the room, the albino heard a strange voice. It was talking to his sister.

Stepping in farther, Gilbert walking into the living room area to find his sister sitting on the couch with a very familiar British man leaning over her, with his hands resting quite firmly on her thighs. The two blondes looked over at him, a pair of green eyes looked surprise, a pair of blue looked calm and collected. Britain was not wearing a shirt and was in his swim trunks, Ludwig was in a rather low cut sun dress. Again, red eyes flashed down to stare at the hands resting on Ludwig's thighs. On _his _sister's thighs.

Something snapped inside of Gilbert, and blood pounded in his ears. Before he knew what had happened, he was across the room and grabbed the Brit by the throat, squeezing as tight as he could, until he heard the other sputter and gurgle sickly.

"_Bruder_!" Ludwig's panicked voice barely reached the enraged albino's brain, but it managed. Hearing the fear in that lovely soprano, and feeling small hands on his arms as she tried to get him to let go caused him to relax his grip on the other nation, and when he realized he wouldn't be able to kill the island nation, he shoved the other blonde away, sending Britain staggering backwards.

"Stay the hellaway from her!" Gilbert snarled, before taking his sister's hands before she could go run and help the other nation, pulling her close to him. "Stay the _hell_ away!"

"Gilbert!" Ludwig exclaimed, trying to get out of his hold. "What the hell are you doing you moron?"

The older nation looked down at the girl, his eyes softening considerably as he looked her over. "Are you okay?" he asked, not noticing how his voice trembled slightly. "He didn't touch you anywhere sexually?"

"What?" Ludwig blinked several times. In the background, Arthur coughed harder in response to the accusation.

"He didn't put a spell on you, did he?" the albino pressed, ignoring the girl's outburst. "I know his type," he turned and sent a frightening glare over at the other man.

"I—_ahk_—beg your pardon?" the Englishman gasp, rubbing his neck tenderly, but the outrage clearly got through.

"Don't try to deny it, _arseloch_!" Gilbert snarled. "I saw what you were doing, you pervert!"

"_Bruder_, he was just looking into my eyes!" Ludwig finally managed to pull out of Gilbert's death grip, and she stood glaring at her brother a moment before walking over to help the other man.

"Yeah, I bet he was!" the albino ran after her, stopping her before she got to the island nation. "He was probably casting one of his freaky spells over you!"

"I was not!" Arthur exclaimed, insulted.

"Yeah, I saw you feeling her up, you bastard!"

"He was just leaning over to look into my eyes to see if he could find some sort of enchantment cast over me," Ludwig pulled away from her brother again and helped England back over to the couch. "I read in several articles from my _own_ research that sometimes a certain spell can be detected in a person's eyes."

"I was just leaning over her so I could tilt her head back and still have enough light to inspect them," the smaller man explained desperately. "That's all I was trying to do! That fact that it looked like I was being inappropriate quite escaped my notice! I was trying to keep my balance. I am terribly sorry if I did make you uncomfortable, Germany."

"You weren't bothering me," the girl said firmly before turning to her older brother. "See? You completely over reacted. We were just trying to get some tests done and figure out how to turn me back. Apologize."

Gilbert took a step back, affronted. "Apologize? For what?"

Ludwig snorted. "How about nearly chocking Britain to death?" she rolled her eyes.

"I was just trying to protect you!" the Prussian stepped forward. "Things are different for you now, West. You're small and cute and weak and defenseless! Men will want to take advantage of you! I was only doing my job as your brother by defending you!"

The air suddenly became stifled and the temperature dropped at least twenty degrees. Gilbert found himself trapped in the depths of icy blue eyes that were slowly freezing him to death. The scowl on Ludwig's face was truly horrifying, and it left the older nation feeling sick and chilled. A shiver ran up his spine, and for the first time in several days, it wasn't a good shiver.

"I didn't ask for your help," the girl ground out, her jaw clenched painfully tight. "I am not _weak_," she spat in a harsh whisper. "I am _not _defenseless." She grabbed his pale hand before bending his little finger backwards nearly all the way.

"Gah!" the albino exclaimed, unable to get out of his sister's vice-like grip, and before he knew it, he was on his knees in front of her, looking up into the terrible eyes of hers.

"Now," she hissed. "Apologize."

Fighting back the tears that wanted to spring up in his eyes, Gilbert found himself nodding. He was thankful when his sister released her death grip on his pinky finger, before he stood up. Without looking at either blonde, the albino muttered an insincere, "Sorry," before looking the other way.

Ludwig sighed, but did not press. "I am sorry for that, Arthur, I do hope you're not too seriously hurt?" The older German scowled darkly when _his _little sister used the other nation's name.

"Oh no, I'm fine, really," the Englishmen responded quickly, just like any man would to calm a woman's fear and guilt. It pissed Gilbert off. A lot. "Please don't concern yourself."

"I'll go make you some tea," Germany went on, looking truly apologetic. "You like sugar in it?"

"Only a touch, thank you, Ludwig."

As the lady exited the little sitting area to go to the small kitchenette that the suite provided, Gilbert wasted no time, and was in Arthur's face almost immediately. He grabbed the Englishman's shirt, bringing their faces close together. There was real fear that sparked through the emerald eyes before it stilled as the island nation tried to recover himself. "You stay away from my sister, got it?" the albino hissed. "I don't know what sort of twisted game you're playing here, but you don't _touch _West again unless I say it's okay. Got that?"

"I was merely looking to see if I could identify—!"

"Shut it!" Red eyes burned furiously, like the fires of hell coming up to devour any and all transgressors. "West might be different now, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stand back and let you or anyone else take advantage of her. Got it? West is _mine_."

With an unnecessary shove, the albino released his prey. Still glaring down the other man, Gilbert went into the kitchenette after his sister. He stopped in the doorway and watched as she was pouring the hot water into a mug for their guest. She really looked good in that sundress. He had done an awesome job picking out her clothes for her. It was really no wonder why England had been drawn to her, any sane man would have. But it still ticked him off.

Icy eyes glanced back for a moment, and the albino could detect anger in them. They were so beautiful when they looked like that, but so cold. "Why did you have to harass Britain?" the girl hissed. "He might not help me now!"

"Well then, we don't _need _his help! We'll figure this all out."

"Don't be stupid, _Bruder_." For some unknown reason, the name burned Gilbert's heart, making it ache fiercely. "I've already tried to come up with a solution on my own, remember?" Ludwig went on, unaware of the pain she had inflicted. "We need him so that I can be normal again!"

"Being a girl is not un-normal, West," the Prussian said gently. "It's okay if you stay a girl, you know. I'll still watch out for you."

The blonde looked surprised for a moment before she masked it with fury. "I don't _need _you to protect me from everyone, _Bruder_." He winced. "I don't _need _anyone. I can take care of myself. I can defend myself no matter what gender I am. But the point is that being a woman is unnatural to _me_. I spent my whole life as a man, Gilbert."

"I know," the albino said, almost shamefully. "But I'm just saying, if we can't fix you, I…I mean, it'll be okay… I'm your big brother," the words were like sawdust on his tongue. "It's my duty to look after you, West. I made a promise to look after you."

At last, the blue eyes softened and Ludwig sighed. Her hair was getting longer, and one strand slipped from its position to hang in her face slightly. The older German had to fight the urge to go over and brush it back. "I know that you think it's your job to watch out for me," the girl began slowly. "And I know that you've always been here for me, and…and I do appreciate it, East, but I'm not a child anymore. I'm not _weak_. And I'd rather not give up hope right now on returning to normal." Ludwig turned to look away, a red blush overcoming her cheeks. "But I…I do appreciate your…reassurances and support if I don't turn back."

And the urge to sweep her up in his arms nearly undid the Prussian once more. She looked so fragile, so adorable. His male instincts flared to life again, and he knew that he was lusting after her, still, even with England just around the corner. Why couldn't he control himself when it came to her? Why was he so attracted to her like he was? He became irrationally frustrated and he had a very strong desire to go beat the snot out of England.

"Come on now," Ludwig said, stirring a teaspoon of sugar into the tea. "Let's go see if England can't help me out."

Obediently, Gilbert followed his sister out, but not before vowing that should anyone try to take advantage of his sister again, he would kill them.

**oOoOoOo**

After his near death encounter with East Germany, England decided that it would be best to keep his distance from the irrational nation. Gilbert had always been insanely protective of his younger sibling through the years, had risked multiple conflicts and wars just to gain custody and control over his brother's land in the past, but there some something decidedly different with the albino now as opposed to years ago. There was a different spark, a different drive to him when it came to the younger German, but Britain just couldn't rightly understand it at the moment.

The rest of the afternoon the island nation spent with the two Germans in an awkward sort of dance between temperaments. Ludwig, to her credit, kept her brother on his leash and made sure that he didn't get too snappish. Gilbert, on the other hand, kept those sharp eyes of his on every movement Arthur made the whole day. Like an overprotective parent, the albino would demand to know the full details of any of the tests Arthur was going to administer to Ludwig and made sure that only what had been described before was applied. It was frustrating work, but neither Germany nor England could get the stubborn Prussian to change his mind once it was set.

It was at times like these that England truly wished he had just stayed at home and not come at all. His afternoon had been going so well too, only to be turned upside down when he thought he had a chance with a pretty young blonde. Truly, even after finding out the girl was just Germany, his time spent with the other European hadn't really been that bad. Actually, Arthur had been having a surprising amount of fun. This whole predicament was more like a strange puzzle that needed solving than a bloody nuisance to him, and he had taken notes as Ludwig went through everything she could think of that might have caused her sudden change.

No, the British gentleman had been having quite a good time until a certain albino had come and forcibly pushed him away from the girl he had been trying to help. The sudden aggression in the albino had honestly took Arthur by surprise. He had not seen this side of Gilbert for many years now. The last time anyone had truly seen it was just before the Second World War had ended, when the Germans were still fighting tooth and nail at the end of 1944 and into early 1945.

After Prussia's disbanding, however, the once great and powerful nation had become more subdued, more laidback and unwilling to do much on the political scene. Granted, the Eastern German had had to deal with being under the control and power of the Soviet Union and delicately work on the balance of power between himself and his sibling to stay alive than to find time to fight others. The nasty little spark that had always been within the Prussian had disappeared for many years and had only started to slowly return, so very little, after the Reunification of Germany by Ludwig's own coaxing.

Now, however, Arthur saw no need for Western Germany to coax that side of her brother to come out. It was back. The fire was very much alive and burning in the albino now, it seemed, and it was quite terrifying. Prussia had helped stomp out Napoleon with that same fire, had nearly conquered the German states after the 1848 Revolutions, had defeated Denmark, Austria, and France in his quick, little wars to create the Second Reich in 1871, and had fought viciously with that same spark in both World Wars with surprisingly damaging results.

Arthur realized that in some manner, Prussia was not really gone; it was still very much alive among the Germans. That was why Gilbert was still thriving, it wasn't just because of Ludwig's generosity to carve out a piece of land to give to her brother, it was because the Prussian fire had never truly gone out. The Prussian ideal had still been kept alive, and now, it seemed, that Prussia himself was back, no longer simply the lesser East Germany, but a real force that wanted to be recognized for his history and power.

While it was potentially a frightening thought, England had to wonder _why _that spark had come back all of a sudden. Had it really been growing back by itself this quickly, or had Ludwig's transformation had something to do with it? Prussia had always seemed the most dangerous when he was defending or trying to win his sibling from others. Was it possible that that instinctive protectiveness that the albino seemed to harbor had reflexively come out again now that Ludwig was dealing with a stressful, odd situation that could potentially get her into trouble?

It was possible. There were times when England still found himself watching out for America, Australia, New Zealand, or… that other one…the one in the north, near America…Canada! Yes, how could he have forgotten about sweet Canada? Britain should always remember Matthew. He had won the boy from France, after all, drove the bloody Frog right out. _That _had been a good time…

Sitting back, flipping through one of the spell books that he had brought with him as light reading—Gilbert had not wasted a moment to harass the Brit on his strange reading selections for flights—trying to think of anything that he could do to help Ludwig out. But as he read, his eyes keep glancing up to stare at the two siblings he was with, watching them.

They were all three sitting on the soft, Arthur with his book, Gilbert and Ludwig looking up information online, trying to see if they could come up with anything. It wasn't the first time that the Englishman had watched the two German siblings interact with each other, but it was the first time that the two seemed to be interacting in _this _manner. Mentally, the island nation began taking notes.

Ludwig wasn't all that interesting, she was staring at the computer screen reading, every once and a while typing in the search bar. No, it was the albino who was worth watching. He was sitting next to his sister with a pad of paper and pen in hand, ready to take notes should the younger German ask. This might not have been so strange save for the fact that the Prussian wore pained expression on his face, his eyes never leaving his sister's face as she went on in her search, completely ignoring him.

Why would Gilbert feel pained? He had been furious not too long ago, but now that things had quieted down, the albino seemed to mentally lapse into a sort of depression as they worked. Red eyes seemed made only for his sister in a way that confused Britain. What was Gilbert thinking about? What was bothering him? Was it really the fact that he believed Ludwig was easier to take advantage of now? Was he really that concerned over the girl's well being?

Annoyed with the silence, frustrated with his inability to find any answers thus far, Arthur stood up, catching the two German's attention. "I think it's time for a break," he said while stretching. "We've been at this for hours. What do you two think of going out to dinner tonight? Get out of this stuffy little suite and have a nice sit down dinner?"

"We haven't come any closer to why I'm like this," Ludwig frown, her bottom lip pouting slightly. She really was a gorgeous creature now; Arthur could understand why Gilbert felt so protective of her. He, too, had sisters he wanted to watch out for.

"I know, but I'm not sure I have the proper spell books with me to produce a truly successful researched answer. Why don't we just go out tonight and I promise you, after my stay here in Italy, I will devout my time to trying to find a cure to your situation?"

"West doesn't have a dieses, she's just a girl now," Gilbert snapped, Surprising the other two. It made Britain wonder…

"And you're damn right you'll being helping her out!" the albino went on, breaking the blonde's train of thought. "She's taken a huge risk at letting you in on this secret of ours."

This was not ordinary protectiveness the Prussian was exhibiting. No, there was definitely something different about him now and his attitude towards the younger blonde. His temper was much shorter and there was a certain flash in those ruby eyes that Arthur knew he should recognize, but he could not put his finger on.

"Yes of course," Arthur nodded quickly, as his mind worked furiously on figuring out what was so different, to recapture his earlier musing and piece this new puzzle together.

Ludwig looked between the two men and seemed to sense the tension again. She sighed heavily before she stood; an elegant movement. "Very well. Let's go then."

After grabbing coats and wallets, and Britain going to his own room to finally change from his swimsuit, about half an hour later, the trio found themselves walking through the streets of Italy, looking for a suitable place to dine. As they went, Arthur took to watching the two Germans again. Ludwig looked very much the part of a beautiful tourist while Prussia looked like her demon escort, ready to murder anyone that came too close to the blonde. A few times some Italian men perked up as Ludwig walked by, but one glare from Gilbert sent any possible suitors away quickly.

At one point, a man shouted a catcall at the poor gender confused German as she walked by, causing the girl to blush with embarrassment and anger, before her brother stormed over to the offender and promptly punched him in the face. After that, the people gave the group a wide path. "You should have hurt that man," Ludwig had admonished not too convincingly. "It could get us into trouble."

"What trouble?" the albino snapped. "I've got fucking diplomatic immunity."

Germany had raised an eyebrow and hummed, but said nothing more. Personally, Arthur would have scolded any of his siblings more, would have tried to make them see the error of their ways, but Germany and Prussia were different people. For whatever reason, Ludwig seemed to still hold a considerable amount of respect for her brother, and was just the type to feel it not her place to scold the older nation. That combine with the fact that everyone knew that whatever she would have told the stubborn Prussian probably wouldn't have filtered through to his brain that would have made it a total waste of time, effort, and breath in the long run. Ludwig, surprisingly also didn't seem to care all that much in this situation, Arthur noticed. The girl actually seemed a little pleased.

At last, the three nations found a nice little restaurant that was out of the way, and sat down. It was fairly busy, being about the prime time for dinner, but none seemed to mind too much after spending the afternoon cooped up. Arthur rather enjoyed listening to the music being played in the background with humans chattered around him. It was not as soothing as listening to his own native English, but it was still nice after the kind of day he had.

An awkward sort of silence fell over the unlikely dinner party, but Ludwig seemed determined to deter any discomfort and Arthur followed her lead. Gilbert seemed resolute to stay in his brooding silence and his sister made no move to remove him from his condition. Apparently it was better to leave the Prussian be as long as he wasn't directly hurting anyone. Britain made note to remember that little tidbit for later use. Just in case.

"So," the girl said after they had ordered their drinks. She spoke in German in hopes that no one would be able to understand them. "Once you get back to your own home, you will contact me if you find anything, _ja_?"

"Of course," Arthur nodded. "I will do anything within my powers to help, though I must admit that your case is unusual. I may need to consult with Norway on this matter to see what he thinks."

"No way," Gilbert spoke up, shaking his head adamantly. "We don't need any more people in on this. West doesn't want this to get all over the news. She could lose her reputation. We haven't even told our own government what exactly has been going on."

"You might want to," England said seriously, looking at the girl instead of her brother. "I know it will be difficult, but this could take awhile. It's best to clear the air quickly so as not to cause panic within your government."

The blonde German sighed. "I know I should. It will just be…uncomfortable. No, you're right. I should admit this to them when I get back. I'll still be able to work, so they won't have to worry too much." She paused a long moment in thought. "And I suppose you may ask Norway for his help if you must, though Gilbert is right, I'd like to keep this situation as closed as possible. I don't want this news spread around the world."

"You have my word I will do everything within my power to keep your secret," Arthur smiled lightly at the woman before him.

There was suddenly a cheer from the whole room, everyone called some sort of greeting. The three nations turned to see what sort of spectacle was happening around them, when they froze in horror.

"_Ve_, is the pasta ready yet?" a familiar voice whined over the voices of the humans.

There was some mumbling and laughing before another loud cry rang over the people.

"_Chigi_! My beautiful angel!" came the cry from across the room as everyone turned to look into the direction of the three obviously foreign people.

Germany slouched down low in her chair, her face red as a beat. Gilbert looked around desperately for something to fend the Italians off with. Arthur sat stiff in his chair, not sure what he should be doing. _Well, so much for keeping this all mum_, he thought sympathetically.

**oOoOoOo**

Up in Heaven, Rome was laughing merrily at the turn of events, routing his grandsons on, pleased that Germany had nowhere else to hide. She would _have _to meet Veneziano now. Next to him, despite being dead, Germania had stroke.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Yay! What a nice way to celebrate the upcoming Thanksgiving with having our three conspirators go out for a nice dinner?...which totally backfired.

There were some mentions of historical facts in this, but I'm too lazy at the moment to explain them. If you have any questions about that, feel free to ask, I'll be forced to explain them then. XD

The bending back of the pinky finger is actually something that police and others types tell women to do when fighting off men or other unwanted people that are harassing you. Bending back the littlest finger is, I'm told, quite painful to most people and will have them drop to their knees. Honestly, I'm not sure if it'll work first hand as I'm able to bend back all my fingers, but I've been told it's quite painful. So keep this little tip! Bending back the fingers hurts most people, but not the double-jointed ones. :P

But I hope you liked this installment. Now we have the Germans, England, and now the Italians all in on what was supposed to be a secret. The future is looking to be fun to write~ Reviews are always welcome! Thanks everyone!


	11. Chapter 10: Homeward Bound

**Chapter Ten: Homeward Bound**

"_Chigi_! My beautiful angel!"

Germany slumped down in her seat, her eyes wide and her heart pounding in her chest. What the heck were the Italian brothers doing _here_? Was this the only place that nations could eat at or something? Had someone told the Italians that they would be here? But that was of little consequence, the main issue was how the heck was she going to get away this time?

Ludwig wasn't sure she had ever seen Romano move so fast, not even when he had been chased down by the British. In a matter of seconds, the usually grumpy Italian was before her, on one knee, holding her hand in his, kissing the back of it. The blonde's eyebrow began twitching sporadically.

"_Bella dona_," Romano continued to kiss her hand with exaggerated care. "Where have you been? I have been looking all over for you! Were you kept hostage by _these _brutes?"

Before she could have hoped to answer, Gilbert was in between the two of them immediately, cutting off all contact quite efficiently in a matter of seconds. Looking up, Ludwig saw her brother's eyes flashing dangerously, the sort of danger that she knew promised nothing but pain and suffering for anyone that dared get in his way, or took something that was his…But that didn't really make sense. Why was her brother acting so possessively? Romano might have been acting annoying, but he hadn't taken anything from Gilbert or stopped him from getting anything, so what was the issue? Had she read her brother wrong? Was it just a trick of the light?

But just before he could speak up, Britain stood as well. "Well, thank you for the lovely evening out, East Germany, Miss," he nodded, trying to look as professional as possible, even while his counterpart was growling like a rabid dog. "I'm sorry to have kept you two out so late."

By this time, Veneziano had wandered over, looking truly scared for his brother's life as Gilbert had pulled the older Italian up off of his knees by the front of his shirt, and looked poised to start punching the brunette into the next year. But Ludwig decided that perhaps it was time for her to intervene and end this. "Not at all, _Herr_ Britain. Thank you for meeting with _Herr Deutschland _and myself. I-I think we should be going now…"

She grabbed her brother's arm and tried to signal it was time to go, wishing that she still possessed all of the strength she'd had as a man to _make _her brother leave, but Veneziano seemed to materialize before her and stared at her with large, caramel eyes that twinkled merrily. "_Ve~ _Hello, pretty lady! I am Veneziano, Romano's brother! He's told me all about you!"

Taking a step back, Germany became flustered. What was she supposed to do? Instinct told her that she should just punch the Italian in the face and run off— it seemed both she and Gilbert's "fight or flight" reflexes always required a little "fight" no matter what— but she knew that that wouldn't get her anywhere but in trouble. No one knew who she was, the last thing she needed was to start an international scandal, especially since she had entered Italy a bit illegally. What would her government say?

Forcing herself to smile, praying it didn't look like she was trying to swallow hot coals like it normally did when she attempted this difficult feat, Ludwig nodded carefully. "Ah…yes, thank you. Um…nice to meet you, Veneziano."

"You look familiar," the younger Italian leaned in. "Have I seen you somewhere before? I'd think I'd remember someone was _gorgeous _as you, but for some reason, I can't recall. You really are so pretty, _ve_~"

At the side, Britain was still trying to get the albino to release the older Italian, and save Romano from the irrational German's blood lust while the Italian himself also looked close to murder for the fact that his younger brother was now hitting on his conquest. Apparently when a love interest was on the line, an Italian could withstand the wrath of a furious former Prussian soldier without batting an eyelash. Ludwig sighed gently, not knowing if she should just walk out of there now, leave the men to their own devices, and not look back, or just start screaming and tear her hair out. Come what may, she knew that she was on her own when it came to Veneziano now. Plastering on that fake smile of hers, not caring so much if it seemed pained, she shook her head with an attempted giggle, the way she had heard women giggle when they thought something was ridiculous or oddly amusing... or something. It was a difficult task which had probably failed spectacularly.

"I-I've never met you here, sir," she held up her hands, taking another step back. "I've never been to Italy like this before either."

There, that wasn't a lie, it was just a bit cryptic. No harm done. And it's not like anyone _needed _to know about this since Germany was confident that Britain was going to fix this terrible mistake soon, and by this time next week, she would be walking around as a man again. Let's see if Italians would be hitting on her then!

"_Ve_, you sure?" Veneziano pressed, taking one of her hands in his. "Because now I _know_ I've seen you in my dreams." The smile he used was one that could coat the world with sugar, could melt even the iciest personality, and affectively seduce any lonely heart that needed a little more love in their life…

Germany nearly gagged.

She couldn't help it. That was probably the worst pick up like she had ever heard anyone use. Ever. It was corny and fake and there wasn't a drop of sincerity in it. As a man, Ludwig had once gone through a list of pick up lines to see if there were any that she could possibly use the next time she was at the bar… for experimental purposes only, of course! But about halfway through the list, she had become increasingly embarrassed and annoyed at how trite and weak they were. She knew she could never embarrass herself by using any of them, afraid to even _ever_ speak any of them out loud. Ludwig had always wondered what manner of man would embarrass himself willingly to use them…

But now she knew. And being a woman, being the one to actually _receive _the poor attempts at flirtation…it was ten times worse than even contemplating _using _them. It was so bad, in fact, that Ludwig had the nearly uncontrollable urge to smash Veneziano's face into the table as hard as she could just to get rid of that smile.

That's what friends were for, right? To point out their friend's mistakes so that they might _never _commit them again? This would certainly prove to be a great service to the little Italian.

Yet, before she could do anything, out of nowhere, due to some miracle—or curse, depending on how you looked at these things— Romano had gotten free of Gilbert's death grip as Britain was trying to control the albino, and pushed his brother out of the way. "That was my line, bastard," the older brother hissed.

"Now," he turned back to Ludwig, smiling charmingly, not quite as sugary as his brother's, but more suggestive, more seductive. "Please, Miss," he took up her hands again, "why don't you tell me all about yourself? Perhaps we could go for a little walk around in the moonlight? I know a perfect place to—"

_BAM! _

For a few seconds, Ludwig wasn't entirely sure what happened, but as she looked down, she realized that one of the chairs had been kicked—_hard—_right into the Italian's precious manhood. Romano sunk down to the floor with a whimper, holding his crotch protectively in case of another attack. Looking at the two other northern nations, the blonde found that Britain had managed to hold Gilbert's arms back, but by the nasty smirk on the albino's face, it was not hard to figure out that he had just proceeded to kick the chair at the fallen nation. It was such a wicked smirk that adorning the older German's features, one that bespoke of too much pleasure being extracted from it, that the blonde rolled her eyes.

"_Fratello_!" Veneziano dropped down next to his brother, fussing over the temperamental Romano.

And that was when Ludwig knew she needed to act. "Sorry for the trouble, Britain," Ludwig whispered as she took her brother's hand. "If they ask, I'm _Frau _Müller, the secretary."

When she saw the island nod, the blonde dashed off with her brother in tow, without looking back. As they passed the two Italians, Gilbert kicked one of the tables, which proceeded to fall over on the other two on the floor. "_Keseseseses!_"

Germany scowled back at her brother, but didn't stop as they went out the door, leaving the poor British man with all of the confused and excited Italians. She knew she was going to have to make it up to the green-eyed man later on. _Just add it to my tab_, she thought wryly.

Once outside, the two Germans ran as fast as they could away from the little restaurant, not really knowing where they were going, Ludwig in the lead with a firm grip on her brother's hands. They ran down all the narrow, twisted streets before they finally came to a spot in the center of town, next to the fountain that Ludwig had sat at the other day. The moment they had caught their breath, she turned to her brother and smacked him as hard as she could across the back of the head.

"Ow!" the albino cried, clutching his wounded cranium. "What the hell was that for?"

"What the hell were you doing back there?" the girl hissed, making sure to keep her voice down, lest they cause a scene…again, when she saw several Italians looking their way. "Attacking Romano and Veneziano? Gilbert, they weren't doing anything other than being annoyingly Italian! We could have gotten out of there easily had it not been for you wanting to kill Romano right away and starting a fight. What is _wrong _with you lately?"

The albino stood up straight, shoulders squared, and face suddenly blank. He looked the way he always did when there was a military inspection, which he'd adopt when he was being particularly stubborn about something. Like this, Gilbert could shut out the world, ignored everything and refused to speak even if it was the apocalypse. Ludwig knew she wouldn't get a straight or honest answer now, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try. After all, if there was possibly anything more stubborn than a Prussian, it was a German.

"Well?" she pressed, posting her hands on her hips, scowling severely. "Are you going to answer me, or are you just going to stand there stupidly until a strong wind blows you over?"

For the first time in a while, the older German actually looked annoyed with Ludwig, and the blonde knew she would finally get a response. Gilbert had been acting so strange these days that it was even getting hard to directly aggravate him. He just seemed so…involved now. It was getting to the point where Ludwig felt smothered. Her brother hadn't acted this bad, this overprotective since she had been little and France was still out to cause them trouble.

At last, the albino sighed. "It's nothing."

"It's _not _nothing," Ludwig snorted. "Now, you _will _tell me this instant."

The two siblings glared at one another for several long moments before red eyes looked away. "It's just…we can't let anyone know who you are, right? That's what you wanted."

"But that doesn't give you the right to go around beating up other nations, East," the blonde sighed, rubbing her temples. "You should know better than this."

"This is different, West!" Gilbert seemed to plead. "You don't know how to act like a woman!"

"And you do?" the blonde snapped, crossing her arms disapprovingly.

"That's not what I meant!" Gilbert ran a hand through his white hair in frustration.

As she watched, Ludwig—for whatever mysterious reason— found the action surprisingly …interesting. She had seen her brother run a hand through his hair many times before, yet when he did it now…it seemed different. In fact, just about everything seemed a little bit different about the albino. Not just the way he was acting and what he said, but it was the little things. There were little things that her brother did, like the way his eyes twinkled when he was enjoying something, when he would walk around without a shirt on, or just now, when he ran his hands through his hair. It was no different than how he usually acted, and yet Ludwig seemed to find new interest in them. They were the same, and yet it was as though the blonde seemed to notice them in a different manner.

For a reason unidentifiable to Ludwig, she found herself blushing a bit as she stared at her flustered older brother who stood by the fountain, the Italian night setting in, the stars twinkling overhead, the sound of music in the distance, and the soft glow of lights coming on. Her stomach flipped in a way that she knew she could not blame solely on hunger pains. When she saw red eyes flicker up to stare at her, the blonde immediately averted her own gaze, not wanting Gilbert to see her for some reason.

_Verdammt, this is awkward! _she thought angrily as she glared at the stones beneath her feet. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at her brother again, and the two looked each other over warily for a moment.

"Well?" she prompted. "Are you ever going to tell me what's up with you, or are we just going to have to stop speaking to each other for a while?"

They'd done it before. It really was the only peacefully way they could put down an argument until they had cooler heads on her shoulders. "Talking it out" was not something that the Germans were very skilled at without the use of punches being thrown.

The older personification groaned. "Don't be so mean to me, West, I was just trying to look out for you!"

The blonde snorted. "You're versions of 'looking out for me' usually makes my situation worse than it should be."

In an instant, Gilbert's attitude seemed to shift, and he glared daggers at the girl, taking her by surprise. "Don't get sassy with me, _Kind. _What other brother, nation or otherwise, would stick his neck out for you the way I've done? Name oneother that's done _half _of the shit I've done for you!" he snarled. "Go on, name one. Where would you be if not for me?" Ludwig's face went blank. "You'd probably have been dissolved in one form or another by now, and you _certainly _wouldn't be the well respected nation you are today," he snarled, apparently on a role. "I _made _you, West. Don't you forget it, you ungrateful brat!"

He was right, and Ludwig knew she couldn't dispute it. There really was no relationship quite like Germany and Prussia's in history. She couldn't think of a nation that had so actively reached out to weaker ones the way Prussia always had to the German states without resorting to invasion or fighting… at least not fighting with those he wished to merge with. Prussia had stepped up on the Germans behalf since Ludwig could remember. Gilbert had fought the French for her, had stepped up to face Austria, had saved her from Denmark, had kicked out Austrian rule, and then once more battled the French a second time to unify her and finally merge to create the German Empire.

In all of their strange history together, not once had Gilbert ever been violent or treated her badly. Sure, there had been one instant where the Prussians had used a military takeover of the German states after the Spring Revolutions of 1848, but that had only been to help stop the violence, and since the Germans had offered the Prussians the crown and proposition of unification anyway, the blonde didn't hold that against her brother. Other than that, the Prussians had always been kind and helpful to the Germans, and there was not another nation out there that had quite the same relationship that these two had. Not even the Italians had as interestingly strange and remarkable relationship.

Feeling suddenly very cruel and unworthy of all that her brother had done, Ludwig stared down at her feet repentantly. Gilbert might be immature sometimes, might actually be a pain in the ass, but he was still not only her brother, but her elder. There were times she forgot that. No matter what, for everything he'd done for her, the Prussian did deserve nothing but respect from her, because she owed him for so much, even after their unification the first time around.

"I haven't," she answered gently.

"Doesn't seem like it," the albino snorted, crossing his arms. "I always look out for you the best that I can, and because I'm awesome, it always works out, so don't you forget it."

That resentfulness and temper were two things that had caused Germany nothing but grief since she had been young. Seeing Gilbert angry or disappointed with her was probably the worst thing in the world, as far as she was concerned. It always hurt to see the one who you practically worshipped and looked up to like a hero mad or disgusted with you. Whenever Gilbert looked at her with _that _look, it never failed to make Ludwig feel like shit, every time, no matter if he was even in the wrong or not.

Looking away, keeping her head down, Ludwig began walking away. There was nothing else to say. That damned Prussian had turned this all around to make _her _feel like she had somehow been wrong, and she hated it. It almost made her not want to feel anything, which is probably why she avoided large displays of emotions most of the time. But in any case, the fact of the matter was that Germany was still angry with her brother's recent attitude, and apparently, her brother was angry with her for appearing ungrateful. This would not be settled anytime soon, so it was best to let it rest for a while.

"I'm going for a walk," she said quietly. When she heard her brother take a couple steps after her, she turned around to scowl icily at the albino, affectively freezing him in place. "_Don't _follow me," she added coolly.

Slipping away quietly into the crowd, Ludwig went off, wanting nothing more than to punch something. She was furious, she felt terrible after what Gilbert had said, she was still hungry, she was confused, and of all things, she was getting _cold_! Wrapping her arms around herself, she walked on, scowling at the ground as she went, not really knowing where she was going, just that she was going the opposite direction of where she had last seen the Italians.

A few time, several well wishing and eager young Italian men came over to her, telling her that it wasn't right for "such a beautiful woman, such as yourself, to look so sad!" but one frosty scowl and a hissed of "Get away from me," had those enthusiastic boys scampering off with their tails between their legs. It would have been laughable if Ludwig had felt like laughing. But as it was, she just snorted as she watched them flee the scene, not at all caring that she had probably scared them for life. While she liked Italy, liked the people, they needed to focus on other things besides pasta and women.

At last she came upon the beach to the Mediterranean. She looked out over the water and couldn't help but marvel at how lovely it was. To think, this was all so close to her own home, and yet so far. It would be nice to stay in a place like this, but she knew she could never live here. She had not the attitude nor the history that could ever help her adjust well here. Her loyalty made it so that even if she could somehow get away from her responsibilities as a nation, she would always return to Germany. That was her. That was where she was born. That was where her heart was, in Berlin, right next to Gilbert's.

Thinking of the ex-nation, however, brought another scowl to her face, and still grumbling under her breath, she stalked off to the beach. Once she reached the sand line, she took off her shoes, ignoring the cool breeze that made her shiver slightly, and kept walking. She went on until she was as far away from anyone as she could possibly be. She didn't want to be around anyone, and she _certainly _didn't want to talk to any men at the moment.

Were men_ always _like this? Sure, as a man, Ludwig had always listened to friends or other nations talk about women, about their exploits, and it had always seemed like harmless flirtations that were appreciated on both ends. Now, however, the blonde thought it was all near sexual harassment, and she couldn't understand why some women vied so much to get noticed by the opposite sex. It didn't seem so hard in any case. Didn't women know that men looked at _anything _with two legs and boobs?

Ludwig sat down at last in the sand, digging her feet in a bit. She crossed her arms, still trying to retain a little body heat as she just sat staring at the water. Idiot Gilbert with all of his stupid guilt-tripping. She had been perfectly reasonable to get upset with his treatment of the Italians. She was trying to ensure that a diplomatic, national scandal would be avoided! Did he actually think she, too, hadn't wanted to punch those two in the face? She was just thinking reasonably.

And then he had to pull out the trump card and remind her of all he's done for her to make her feel like a brat. She _wasn't _ungrateful, and he knew it! Did _he _not notice everything she'd done for _him_ in return? How could he even still contest her thankfulness, even after she had pleaded—on hands and knees— for his life before the Allies, begging that her brother still be allowed to live and become East Germany even after Prussia was dissolved? She had given up a part of herself, dammit! All for him! She had allowed him to reclaim, in part, Berlin, his old capital. It was actually a national secret that the other nations didn't know and never realized how close the two had become in this respect. _She _should have been the one to make him feel guilty, turned it around and asked him how he could be so ungrateful for all that she'd done!

…But then Ludwig could never do that. Giving up some land, allowing Berlin to _remain _his heart was the absolute _least _she could do for him after everything that he'd done for her…and after everything she had put him through. There really was no contest over who cared more for the other, it would always show Gilbert on top. Behind all that pomp and selfishness was really the heart of a loyal, loving brother that would do anything, even kill, to protect his younger sibling. There was no way Ludwig could compete with that kind of devotion, though she tried. So no matter what, in the end of all arguments such as these, she was the loser, and she felt terrible.

Sighing, she took a handful of sand and shifted it through her fingers. Well, it didn't matter if she felt guilty, it wouldn't help anything. All she could do was work to prove Gilbert wrong. That would shut him up and then he wouldn't _ever _be able to make her feel like this again… at least, she hoped he wouldn't be able to. He was quite clever when it came to getting inside someone's head.

What was wrong with her lately? (Well, besides turning into a different gender.) It was like, everything her brother did set her off into a vicious, spitting whirlwind of fury or made her feel like shit. It wasn't just what the albino said anymore, it was also how he acted. There were the times, like at night or in the morning, when he seemed so strange, like he was either nervous or sad or something, which always made the blonde feel a pang of sorrow herself. And then there was the constant joking and teasing about being a girl now that just set the German off. Was Gilbert really too stupid to realize that this was a sensitive time for Ludwig, or was he really just that dense? Too caught up in his own awesomeness to notice when someone else was distressed?

Well, that was fine. See if Ludwig helped Gilbert out next time that the bastard felt like crap.

Dropping her head to her chest with a groan, the blonde knew what a hopeless liar she was. All bluff no balls when it came to Gilbert, always had been, always would be. She might threaten, scream, punch a hole through the wall, but in the end, she almost always help her brother or do as Gilbert asked. She had only ever outright refused if it caused the albino or herself actual harm.

Carefully, Ludwig stood and began walking again. She wondered vaguely what time it was. The picky German always wore a watch, but since she couldn't exactly wear her old one anymore, it left her wrist feeling bare. It was annoying to always have to pull out her phone, and now she didn't feel like getting into her small backpack to fish it out to look. It was still fairly early in the evening by Italian standards at any rate, as she noted a lot of people still out and about, natives as well as tourists.

Although Germany was never to type to give into whimsy, she did decide that it might be nice to kick her feet into the water. She was cold, the water was probably getting cold, yet she couldn't help herself. She was used to being cold, she'd suffered worse at home, and _definitely _hadwhen she suffered in the wars while in Russia. She could certainly tough out a little cold water.

Lifting up her dress a bit with one hand, her shoes still in the other, Ludwig walked through the small waves. Though not many people would ever guess this, but Germany liked water. Always had. She liked swimming, she liked to take baths, and she loved touching water when she could. But due to practicality, the blonde rarely swam, _never _took baths unless deathly ill and needed to cool off a temperature, which rarely happened, and simply going out of the way to touch water was impractical all on its own. But in moments such as this, when she was alone, so close to the sea, she couldn't help herself. It's not like she had anything better to do anyway, so she allowed herself to indulge.

She could remember all the times Gilbert had taken her to the lake or sea when she had been little. Those had been the best times, though they had been rare as well. Gilbert had always been fun on vacations and outings. They never did it much, no time in the past, too seemingly impractical now that they were older and traveled too much anyway for work. Yet when they did decided to take a break, go out to have fun, the albino certainly made it memorable. He was great at that sort of thing, of letting loose and partying. That's probably why France and Spain liked him so much, even after their rocky history. Probably why no one ever bothered to hang around Ludwig, because of how stiff and uncomfortable she always was compared to the albino. It took an Italian too thick to realize that he was annoying to tolerate her bad temper and awkwardness.

It hurt, actually, to know how unlikable she really was. It's not like Germany _tried _to push others away, at least not all the time. It was just that Ludwig liked time to herself, liked peace, and had particular tastes. The blonde knew she wasn't the only one like this, but Germany had been born with an unfortunately severe looking countenance. Her brow and naturally turned down mouth gave the blonde the appearance of constantly scowling, always angry. It was nice for intimidation, but terrible for making friends or trying to go out and party, like Gilbert liked to do.

But no matter what, it wasn't that important how she looked, whether in the past or even now, her brother had always been by her side. For some reason, the albino was not deterred by her attitude or temper. He didn't seem to mind her scolding and didn't try and get her to stop working all the time. He really was a wonderful guy despite his arrogance and egocentricity.

Standing in the tide, letting her arms fall at her side, Ludwig looked out, as though trying to see Africa. Usually her walks helped calm her down, helped her think, but she didn't feel that was the case this time. In fact, she found herself a little more confused than before. She was so hopelessly confounded that she wasn't even sure if she was still angry with her brother or not.

Someone settled a jacket around her shoulders, and Ludwig turned to find Gilbert standing behind her. She turned back away, pulling the suit jacket around her shoulders more snuggly. For a moment she marveled and despaired over just how small she had gotten due to how large the jacket was to her now. It was still strange to wake up and find Gilbert taller and broader of the two of them again. It made Ludwig feel very young.

"Nice night," Gilbert said quietly, coming to stand beside his sister. Ludwig noticed that he had his shoes off as well.

Sighing, Ludwig shook her head. No, she supposed she wasn't that upset with her brother anymore. She realized now that he had acted the way he had because of her and her situation. How else had she really expected him to act? Knowing this only made her angry at herself. The sooner this whole mess was over, the better off they'd all be.

"I want to go home," she said simply.

Without a word, Gilbert put his arm around Ludwig, surprising the blonde a bit, and led her away from the water. Up the beach the two Germans went, the albino not moving his arm an inch. It was actually a bit comforting to the confused woman, feeling the comfort of someone she cared about.

As they made their way back to the hotel, Ludwig didn't notice an elderly couple that was nearby, or hear as the old woman pointed at them to her husband. "What a lovely couple they make."

Ludwig was lost in thought and didn't pause or realize that she had been the inspiration for such a statement as she strolled along with her brother. But Gilbert had noticed, he had heard, and so a pained expression flashed over his pale face and was lost to the blonde as well. All Germany knew was that she was finally going to be leaving Italy, and not a moment too soon.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>…not much to say here. Any questions about the history in here, just let me know, I'd be happy to tell you about it. Anyone think the Italians got off easily? Yeah, me too. Neither Gilbert nor Ludwig will be forgetting this. X) Poor England though…I actually feel the worst for him. :(

** Just for those who might not have caught this, "_kind_" is "child" in German. I only remind you because I know how it is reading late night fanfic, and being an English speaker, you might read it as English "kind" and get all confused. ;)

Next up: facing Chancellor Merkel.

Drop me a review on the way out, please. Thanks everyone!


	12. Chapter 11: Welcome Home

**Chapter Eleven: Welcome Home**

Ludwig sat in the car, staring out the window. She and Gilbert on their way home, just passing through the boarder of Austria. She felt bad that she and her brother hadn't spoken to each other since they had left the hotel several hours ago. Germany wasn't usually one to keep grudges like this against her brother, but for some reason, she just wasn't feeling…right. She was tired and angry with no one in particular, and she just wanted things to go back to the way they were, to when things made sense.

Gott_, why is this happening to me? _she thought sadly. _Did I do something wrong? Why am I being punished like this?_

Usually, Germany wasn't the sort to wallow in self-pity, but dammit all, she felt justified this time. This was really unlike anything that had ever happened to her before. She'd been through some of the worst battles in history, right in the thick of it, had suffered being torn apart at several points in her history, and much worse probably, seeing as there was a gap in her memory from before Prussia had found her. No one seemed to know what had happened to her in her earliest years—save Gilbert, who never spoke of it—so the young nation was left to assume that it had been very, very bad before she had woken up to her brother watching over her, telling her that her name would one day be _Deutschland. _

But that all aside, nothing had ever prepared Ludwig for this. In war, she could mentally prepare herself or map out multiple outcomes of events. War, in a way, was easy. You either won or you lost. Sometimes there was a stalemate. If there were any surprises, they could be handled accordingly, adjusted to the situation at the time. Limbs could be lost, wounds excruciating, but in the end, you were still _you_. At the moment, Ludwig was having a very difficult time trying to remain the same when no one else seemed to recognize her as a _him _anymore…including herself.

There was a childish whisper in the back of her mind, telling her that all she needed to do was get back to her own bed to sleep, and in the morning she would be all better, and this would all pass and things would go back exactly how they had been; Gilbert forgetting anything about this, and she could live happily ever after as the proper man that she had been several days ago. But then again, when had Ludwig's fairytales ever had truly happy endings? Somehow, someway, there was going to be blood, figuratively or literally, she wasn't quite sure yet.

The blonde closed her eyes tightly. Why did God hate her so much right now?

**oOoOoOo**

Roderich sat up in his office, staring at one report that had been filed several days ago. Normally he looked over them, and passed them along to make others suffer through this odiously tedious task, but this one report held his interest. It was common for nations passed through other nation's land, could go just as easily, if not more, than humans could. But this time it was different.

Staring at the photo of East Germany, Austria frowned. He had heard reports, rumors more, that Germany, more specifically West Germany, had not been well recently and had not conducted any business himself ,and in his stead had sent the _Prussian_. Normally, should one nation have more than one personification, it was not unusual for the two parts to share responsibility if they felt that they were truly equals, but that had never been the case for the Germans since 1990. Ludwig was the worker, the one that kept everything together. Gilbert was the lazy leech that preyed on his younger brother's wealth and generosity. It was a known fact that the blonde didn't need the albino, but had taken pity on the ex-nation and supported him so that he could still even be in existence. Pathetic.

But as it was, it appeared that Ludwig, for whatever reason, was unwell, and had sent his older, more irresponsible brother to Italy to conduct negotiations. It really shouldn't have captured Roderich's attention all that much, as Germany was known, on occasion, to send his brother to do small tasks, so why should it be a surprise that he'd try and allow his brother to do something a little more important? But the fact was that never, _never _since Austria had known either Germans—which was an exceedingly long amount of time—had they taken to bringing assistance with them.

In the picture, sitting in the passenger side of Germany's car, next to Gilbert, was a young woman with short blonde hair and rather shapely crossed legs. Judging from the picture, she looked a little put out, and nervous. Had Germany sent someone along to watch his brother on such an important task? That seemed logical, but that also didn't sound like Ludwig. If Ludwig had taken the step to allow his brother to negotiate again, he would have done so out of complete trust and the belief that his brother was capable of doing so on his own. Why send an assistant? It cost money and was not all that necessary.

Frowning, Roderich looked over the name once more. _Frau_ Helga L. Müller of Hanover. Apparently she worked at the office for both German personifications as their personal secretary. All the documentations had been in order, all of the proper signatures had been in place. It had all been perfect. _Except Germany wouldn't keep a secretary!_ Roderich scowled.

Pulling his laptop closer to him, the Austrian used his authority as a personification to override certain security systems and all but hacked into the German's employee rosters at the capitol building. It was not an easy feat, but Austria had been around long enough to pick certain things up, even got his cousins from the north drunk a couple times to glean little piece of information out of them so that he could piece it all together. And soon, he had at least the list of employees.

For several hours he looked through all of the names, but not once did he find the record of a _Frau _Helga L. Müller. Once he was sure that the girl did not work at the capitol, Roderich sat back with a scowl. Looking at the picture of the girl again, sitting so rigidly next to the albino personification, a frown on her own face as the photo captured her scowling at the Prussian. There was only one logical explanation for all of this:

Gilbert brought a prostitute with him to Italy!

Standing up, Roderich walked around his office for a moment, thinking. It was of course possible that the girl was _not _a prostitute, but looking at her, the Austrian had to admit that she was very pretty, her short hair looking rather stylish and that frown on her face made it believable that she had a will of her own. She still looked young and fair, so it was possible that she was not in sex as a profession…but since she _was _with Gilbert, Roderich could only assume that she was going along with him for the personification's own personal delight. Germany did not keep a secretary after all, and Prussia had always been a bit more wild than his brother.

Helga L. Müller was probably not the girl's real name, and if that was the case, then she had entered into not only Austria, but Italy illegally. That was unacceptable. Half out of legal obligations, half out of his own curiosity about the strange situation, Austria took up his phone and swiftly dialed.

After several rings, he was graced with an answer. "_Hallo_?"

"Chancellor Merkel," Austria walked to the door, putting on his coat. "This is _Österreich_. I believe I've discovered something that you might want to take a look at…"

**oOoOoOo**

The return home had _not _how Gilbert had envisioned it. Ludwig was still pretty upset with things, and truthfully he wasn't much better. There was so much he wanted to tell her, but none of it came out. The silence of the car ride was beginning to get to him, when they crossed into Germany. When they were almost home, the albino opened his mouth to say something in a last, desperate attempt, but the girl beat him to it.

"_Scheiβe_," she hissed.

Looking at their home, Gilbert couldn't help but curse along with the blonde. There were two police vehicles outside of their home, their lights flashing off the windows of the neighborhood ominously. Cold dread settled over the albino at that moment.

While Ludwig was lamenting her birth, Gilbert's mind was racing, trying to figure out what exactly was going on, and how he could get out of it. He didn't know why there were police in front of his house at three o'clock in the morning, or why he thought he saw Austria there, but he knew that he was going to have to do a lot more to the brunette than just interrupt his piano playing and sabotaging his baking from now on. The albino wasn't sure how, but this was all Austria's fault, and he would get that snotty little aristocrat if it was the last thing he did. _No one _upset West like this and got to tell the tale.

He thought about just turning down a random street, hoping that no one would have really seen them, but unfortunately for both Germans, they were born with a distinct lack of panicky cowardice, and instead of running, they found themselves going into the thick of the situation even though they wanted to flee. Sometimes Gilbert thought it was unfortunate that they had been born with such thick spines, but he couldn't dwell on that for too long. He had to think of a way to talk them out of this situation. West was counting on him!

They were allowed by the police to pull into their driveway and park, but the whole thing was unnerving. It was only then that both Germans realized that Merkel was there also. _Well, this is going to be a lot…more fun…_ the albino sighed. But he would not be intimidated—a problem he'd had all his life—and as he got out of the car, instead of looking away or falling at the feet of his leader immediately, Gilbert met her eyes square on, giving a respectful nod before turning a biting glare Austria's way. He walked around the other side of the vehicle, ignoring everyone, before opening the door for his sister.

"Time to face the music, I'm afraid, West," he whispered, amazed with just how much sympathy and sadness was in his own voice.

The blonde looked paler than usual, but nodded. One long shapely leg left the car, and then another, before Germany immerged into a small crowd of surprised looking police officers. An uncomfortable tingle went down Gilbert's back when he realized how the other men were looking at his sister. He could practically see the drool running down their leering faces. The uncomfortableness soon dissipated into hot anger.

"What's going on here?" Germany asked, her now clear soprano ringing out into the still night, holding an alluring amount of authority behind it.

"I might ask you the same question, _Frau _Müller," Merkel spoke up. The two German nations turned towards their leader and cousin. "Forgive me," the chancellor said dryly, "but I'm afraid we don't know your real name."

"Listen, _Frau _Merkel, we can explain eve—"

"You're in enough trouble, _Preuβen_," she snapped, though in even all her anger, Gilbert noticed she called him the honorary title of his old state name. "You and…that woman," she looked Ludwig up and down with slight distaste, "get inside. I've been trying to get a hold of _Herr Deutschland, _but he hasn't answered my calls or the door."

"That's because—"

"You don't speak," Merkel cut off Ludwig with a glare before turning to the albino. "I don't know what's happened to your brother, _Preuβen_ or what part you had to play in it, but it all stops tonight. Get inside. Now."

The two Germans looked at one another, silently exchanging fearful looks not unlike siblings getting caught in a particularly naughty venture by their parents, before complying. Neither worried about their luggage as they walked to the door. _There _are _police out here, after all, _Gilbert thought sarcastically as he unlocked the door allowing the two Germans, along with Merkel and Austria, stepped in.

"_Herr Deutschland_?" Merkel called. "_Herr Deutschland_?"

"_He's _not here," the albino crossed his arms, frowning. "West is—"

"What have you done to your brother?" Austria growled. "If he's sick or you've done something foolish, say so immediately," the brunette demanded. "We can't afford to be kept in suspense."

Before the older personification could defend himself, the chancellor was on the attack as well. "Whatever plan you hatched up this time, _Preuβen_, I'm in no mood. Tell us what's going on," Merkel sighed. "But first, tell us what this young woman has to do with all of this."

Once again, the sibling exchanged looks, dread in Ludwig's blue eyes, before Gilbert turned to the other two, leveling them with a steady gaze. "Chancellor, West wasn't in the house because he was with me…or rather, _she _was."

Both the human and the Austria frowned. "_Was_?"

"Chancellor," Ludwig stepped up. "_I'm _Germany."

It was as though all the warmth of the room was sucked away as the four inhabitances stared at one another in utter silence. Gilbert noted how his sister's cheeks lit up bright red as she tried to meet the eyes of the others. It was clear how embarrassed she was, but damn if she was going to let that get the better of her. That's why Prussia admired her, always had. West might have been down and out, might have been scared beyond measure, but that never stopped her from going out and doing what needed to be done. That's why she was strong. That's why he had always been attracted to the German states.

At last, however, when the initial surprise passed form Merkel's face, she sighed heavily. "You honestly expect me to believe that?" she scowled. "I have no idea what sort of crack-brained scheme _Herr Preuβen's _talked you into, girl, but you obviously never listened in school. Germany is a _man_, has been for hundreds of years."

"This is preposterous," Roderich snorted. "_Preuβen_, you need to stop this foolishness and bring your brother down this instant. I'm sure he wouldn't approve of this. At all."

"Why does everyone expect the worst of me?" Gilbert cried, but was cut off by his sister.

"_Frau _Merkel, I know this seems like foolishness, but I really _am _Germany," Ludwig pleaded. "I don't know how this all happened, but the other day, I woke up like…" she gestured to herself and they all looked at her body, two more appreciatively than third, "like this," she finished lamely. "_Bruder_ isn't making any of this up. This…well…it just _happened_."

"But we're trying to fix it!" the albino stepped up next to his sister, to provide support. "I assume that Austria's involved in all of this because of the border guard?" he asked with a sneer. "Well, we both went down to Italy so we could see Britain and West could talk to him about changing her back!"

The chancellor crossed her arms severely. She looked tired, like she had been woken up in the middle of a very good sleep, and she understandably did not look particularly understanding at the moment. "Even if all of this ridiculousness was true," she sighed, "how did this even happen in the first place? I was under the impression that people don't just change sex over night," she snorted.

"Well…we don't…we don't know," Ludwig admitted, shoulders slumping ever so slightly. "I just woke up like this. _Bruder_ can attest to this!"

"It _is _true," the albino nodded quickly. "I heard a scream and ran upstairs and found West like…this."

"I have no idea what you're trying to accomplish this time, _Preuβen_, but this has gone far enough," Austria growled. "And to think, you'd involve a young woman in all of this just to get your sick laughs! If you're _Deutschland_, tell me child, when was the first time that we met?"

"It was right after _Bruder _found me in 1806, before France came and solidified his claim on the German states for the Confederation of the Rhine," the blonde answered quickly, accurately. "I wouldn't see you again until 1815 after the invasion of Paris."

Austria and Merkel shared a look. "Anyone could be told that," the human crossed her arms. "Tell us something that only _Herr Deutschland _would know."

"If it's something only _I _know, then how could the rest of you know it?" West grumbled, and Gilbert couldn't quite stifle the snicker that popped out. He liked it when his sister was sassy, especially when she was, in fact, right.

Merkel didn't seem amused, but Austria, for whatever reason, had just the barest hint of a smirk on his thin lips. "Well, tell me then, Miss; what was the first thing you told me about Gilbert in confidence when you were a child?"

Intrigued, the albino looked over at his sibling, and found the blonde blushing bright red once more. "Don't worry, West," Gilbert smirked. "Go ahead and remind him how awesome I am."

Germany turned wide eyes over to her brother, still crimson, before looking pleadingly at Austria. The older nation's cocky smile faltered when it occurred to him that perhaps this memory wasn't necessarily flattering to Prussia. But that couldn't be, could it? West looked up to him. West _adored _him! That's why they created an empire together, why they were both still around, shared the responsibilities of nationhood together!

"West?" Gilbert frowned.

The blonde, probably in an attempt to spare her brother's feelings, walked over to Roderich and began whispering into his ears. As she did so, amethyst eyes grew wider and wider until, amazingly, the aristocrat's mouth actually fell open in surprise. Whatever, Ludwig had said was obviously making an impact.

"_Deutschland_?" Austria exclaimed, as though seeing the blonde for the first time.

The brunette and the blonde stared at each other for a moment, Roderich's cheeks lighting up in a pink blush. Gilbert might have laughed at the stuffy nation, his face looking so ludicrous and his eyes bugged out like that, but the albino couldn't bring himself to. He was too worried over what his sister had said. …and there was also a troubling glint in the male nation's eyes that the Prussian decided that he didn't like. At all. It made him angry. No one should look at hisWest like that.

Not knowing what he was doing, Prussia grabbed his sister's arm and pulled her back to stand closer to him. "See?" he said, in a way to distract everyone from his strange behavior. "I _told _you all that this was West."

For her part, Merkel seemed to take Austria's judgment as truth and dropped her interrogation for the time being, though there was till lingering doubt in her eyes. "But you _lied _to me," the chancellor scowled, apparently. "I don't like being lied to, _Preuβen_."

"I didn't 'lie' per se," Gilbert shrugged, not liking the glower Ludwig was giving him. "All I told you was that West wasn't feeling like himself, and he wasn't because he couldn't feel like himself because he's a _herself_ now, see?"

"Your logic is astounding," Austria gave a dull look over to the albino before turning to the human. "Chancellor, for whatever reason, this girl _is _Germany. I haven't the slightest idea as to why he's suddenly turned into a woman, but this is the same Germany that we all know."

The human looked at her personification squarely for several minutes before sighing. "I don't know what's happened to you, _Deutschland_, but all I know is that we're going to have to make the best out of this." She paused. "In a few days we're going to have to announce what's happened and have you make a public appearance."

"_WAS?_" It surprised Gilbert to find that his voice had raised the question along with his sister's.

"Chancellor, you can't be serious!" Ludwig went on, either not hearing her brother or ignoring him for the time being in her desperation. "Please, I can't go out like this. I've talked to Britain and he is willing to help research this so that I can change ba—"

"And how long will that take?" Merkel shook her head. "No _Deutschland. _Other nations have already become suspicious as to why you are not working and sending your brother to do it all. France in particular and Poland have been hounding us at the office lately about your disappearance around the office. They've been getting a little…anxious at always seeing Prussia there."

"Hey!" Gilbert cried indignantly. "That's profiling, and if I recall all of those stupid classes you made us watch about public relations, that's _wrong_."

"Isn't there any way we can stall this until Britain has had more time to research?" Ludwig pleaded, not even sparing a glance at her brother or to remark at his smart mouth.

"I'm afraid not," Merkel shook her head tiredly. "When it's a more decent hour, I'll announce to everyone that you wish to make an announcement concerning your…time off. The next day, you will prepare to come out and admit what has happened and answer questions to not only your people, but to other nations as well."

It had been a long time since Gilbert had seen Ludwig look so utterly defeated. He didn't like it. After all their hard work in organizing and collaborating and keeping this mess a secret, now they had to end it all. The albino decided that he didn't like Austria. Not that he necessarily did before, but he decided to like him a whole lot less now.

"Tomorrow morning we'll have to go out and buy you proper clothing for the interview," Merkel went on. "I won't have my nation cross-dressing."

That pretty blush of Ludwig's was back, but it was tainted with sadness. "I…already have clothing."

"Do you?" the human raised a questioning eyebrow. "Let me see then. You need to look professional for this."

Embarrassedly, the blonde was forced to take her boss upstairs to her room to show off all the clothes Gilbert had gotten her. For just a moment, the albino was nervous, hoping that he had gotten his sister good enough clothing and that Merkel would approve, but that worry didn't last long when he realized that Austria was still with him, staring up at the women as they walked up the stairs. Staring at _his _West… though admittedly it was an appealing angle.

"What the hell have you done?" Gilbert snapped once the women were in Ludwig's room and when he had snapped out of his trance. "You've ruined everything, idiot!"

Roderich snorted, adjusting his glasses. "I've done nothing except watch out for my boarders."

"By bringing Merkel into this?" the Prussian hissed.

"Well, I had no records of a _Frau _Müller working for the German government, had no reports of a human at all traveling with either you or Ludwig, so when this was brought to my attention, I was naturally suspicious. Don't blame me for doing my job. Perhaps you should have just done yours more thoroughly," Roderich raised a manicured eyebrow up condescendingly.

"You're an ass," Gilbert snorted. "You realize that you've just ruined West's reputation, haven't you? She'll never forgive you for this."

"'Ruined'is a strong word," the Austrian huffed. "And I'm sure once things are explained, Ludwig will understand my actions as being only proper due to the situation. He's not…she?...well, _Germany's _not the kind to hold a grudge when there's so much logic behind the action."

The albino stared at the other German speaking nation incredulously. "You're kidding, right? You _are _talking about West, aren't you?"

Realizing that the bluff didn't go through, the brunette snorted. "You Germans are always so quick to judge. If your…sister… can't see or understand that what I did was necessary, then so be it. As a rational manLudwig will understand."

"You think you're just so—"

"Is there a problem here?"

The question from Merkel stopped the two old rivals instantly, and they straightened up to stare at the chancellor not unlike two small boys getting caught by teacher for bullying on the playground. Gilbert couldn't decide whether he wanted to lie about the situation, say everything was just _dandy _or tell his boss that the snotty-faced aristocrat needed to get the hell out of Berlin, but stopped upon seeing the face behind Merkel. Ludwig stood behind the chancellor like a shadow, sad and tired. There were few things in the world that the albino found more awesome than himself, but one of those was Germany and always had been. This whole thing was putting a tremendous amount of stress on her.

So, in light of that fact, instead of adding more problems for his sister to have to deal with, the Prussian straightened up from his aggressive stance and simply shook his head. "No."

"Not at all," Austria chimed in from behind him.

"_Gut_. Well, I'm going to go then," the chancellor sighed. "You have your instructions, _Deutschland_." She stared meaningfully at her nation.

The blonde nodded quickly. "Yes, ma'am."

"Very well. Good night. I'll inform you about the conference when it's a decent hour."

And with that, Merkel left the three nations to themselves, taking the police along with her. The three personifications looked between themselves silently as an awkwardness settled over them. Roderich still hadn't seemed able to get over the fact that Germany was now a woman, Gilbert was still glaring at the brunette as old hatred started to heat his blood, while Ludwig seemed beyond embarrassed and depressed over having to announce her transformation to the world. The albino's heart truly went out to the girl. He might have attempted to hug her had Austria not been there.

"So," Roderich cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses in a superior manner. "Are you going to invite me to sit and tell me properly what's happened, or are you just going to stand there all night stupidly?"

"Listen here, you pansy bastard," surprisingly it was Ludwig who snapped first, before Gilbert could properly direct his fury. "If you haven't noticed, I have a situation on my hands, and I don't need you _needling _your way into things. I've told you before, I'm _not _your servant and you _can't _order me around anymore!"

The real anger in the words surprised even Gilbert, who had always suspected that his sister still held a certain amount of bitterness in regards to their southern neighbor about his control of the German Confederation. But Austria wouldn't be Austria if he couldn't smooth over the situation with surprising—and annoying— easy. "You misunderstand, Ludwig," his voice was all candy-coded, in a way that the Prussian had never heard it directed at his sibling before. "I had merely been resuming my pervious conversation with your brother."

"I don't care," the girl snapped. "This isn't your house and he isn't, and never has been, your underling to order about."

West's awesome percentage went way up and beyond any of Gilbert's scales. There were no words to describe how much he loved his sister at that moment. It was true that he had watched out for Ludwig since they had both been little tiny territories, but he couldn't remember when he had ever heard her defend him so adamantly for so little provocation. It had been hard to tell since leaving Italy, but it reaffirmed in the albino's mind just how much she cared for him.

But such highs are often interrupted or destroyed, and this moment was no exception. "Of course not," Austria's too suave voice came in again. "But please, this is all a surprise for me as well. I am all in shock." He placed a hand on Ludwig's back lightly, directing her towards the living room. "Come explain to me what's happened. I would dearly like to try and understand this."

The fury seemed to melt out of the blonde as she sighed, running a hand through her short hair tiredly. "_Ja_. Fine. But let me go let the dogs in first," she muttered, shrugging out of the brunette's touch before walking to the kitchen and out the back door to unchain her beloved pets.

As she did so, Roderich made himself comfortable on the couch. "You should probably go unload the car, _Preuβen_," he said evenly, once he was settled contentedly. "Don't want to make your poor sister have to do all the work around here, do you?"

Gilbert was even impressed with how quickly he had managed to move from near the door to behind the couch in the living room, but then, he really was awesome, and before Roderich could have stopped him, he grabbed the Austria's head and slammed it back into the headrest, lamenting how fluffy the cushions were and wishing the southern nation's head had hit pavement instead. "Listen here, you piano fucking bastard, I gotta put up with you for now, but just you wait. When I'm more powerful and rise again, you'll be _wishing _for the _easy_ days of the in the Austrian Succession, because I'll _destroy _you."

Managing to get out of the albino's grasp, Roderich stood up, scowling frightfully. "Don't touch me you filthy _Piefke_," he spat. "What makes you think you can do anything to me? _I'm _still a nation, unlike you. You're only still alive because Ludwig, for whatever reasons, wants you around as a pet."

"I'm still around because I'm not _weak_," the Prussian snarled. "I'm still alive because Ludwig knows that she'd be _nothing _without me. I _made _her!"

"Pretty strong talk for a man who spend over forty years as _Russland's _sniveling lackey."

"Coming from the cowardice traitor that push _all _the blame on me!"

"It's not my fault that you went out of control and—"

"They were originally your fucking ideas!"

"I _never _planned anything of the sort! It was _you _who went—"

"ME? Oh no, you were the one that welcome me with open arms when we came down—"

"What choice did I have? It's _your_ fault, with all of that military posturing you—"

"You certainly appreciated my _posturing _when I came to help your sorry ass in the Great War and even after!"

"That's only because—"

"ENOUGH!"

The two fighting men jumped at the enraged cry before getting out of each other's faces to turn around towards the kitchen. Germany was standing there, her hands balled into fists by her side, the three dogs at her feet, all ridged, as though waiting for orders from their master. Even in a sundress and an angelic face, Ludwig was still as intimidating as ever with such an air of power about her, it caused both males to gulp in apprehension.

Like an angry eagle, she descending upon the pair, literally shoving them apart, causing both the Prussian and the Austrian stumbling backwards. "Enough," she repeated as she glared at each of them in turn. "If there has been one rule that I would have strictly adhered to in _my _house," she glared at both men again, to emphasize her point, "it is that arguments over _that _event are absolutely prohibited. If you want to talk about it further, then get the hell out of my house to do it. I don't want to hear it at home too. If you can't do that, then get the hell out. I'm going to bed."

Coming out of his stupor first, Roderich stepped forward. "You were going to explain to me how—"

If looks could kill, there would have been nothing left of the brunette, either on earth or in eternity. "It's nearly five in the morning, you dult," she hissed. "I've had a long and troublesome day, thanks to you. You're lucky I don't rip out your spine and shove it back up your ass, so you _will _go to sleep. No more questions!"

With that, the girl stomped up the stairs, leaving the Austrian quaking slightly and the Prussian dazed. They shared a look of mutual relief of having escaped the real wrath of Germany, before Gilbert realized that his sister really did have a terrible day. He wasn't the best person to talk about feelings with, and she didn't really seem like she was pleased with him at the moment, but he couldn't let her stew up there by herself.

Without extending another word to the apparent— though certainly unwanted— guest, the albino went up the stairs after his sister. When he came to her door, he didn't knock, knowing that she'd either just tell him to go away or wouldn't answer, so he went in anyway. West was standing in front of her closet with one of her old tank tops on and no pants. The shirt hung off of her like a dress, and went to her knees, but even being so covered, the albino felt a rush of arousal at the sight of those shapely, bear legs.

"Get out," Ludwig muttered, not bothering to turn around.

"'Naw, I like it here," he smirked.

The blonde turned and gave a nasty scowl, but didn't make any other hostile gestures before at last, she sighed. "Fine. Whatever. I'm going to sleep," she muttered as she walked over to the bed and tucked herself in. "Turn out the light," she ordered as way of dismissal.

But Gilbert didn't leave. He obliged and turned off the lights, but he didn't want to leave, not when she was still so angry with him. Instead, he shut the door and walked over to the bed. He stripped down to his boxers and climbed in with her. Before she could complain, he latched on to her from behind and hugged her close. It was excruciatingly wonderful how she felt against him, her body so warm and soft, but he worked hard not to become too stimulate as he was trying to be comforting. Brotherly.

"_Es tut mir lied,_" he whispered. Her body relaxed ever so slightly. "We'll figure all of this out and everything will turn out how it's supposed to in the end."

Ludwig remained still, but her body seemed to be slowly unknotting itself inch by inch. "_Gute Nacht, Bruder_."

"_Gute Nacht, Westen_."

And with that, Gilbert held Ludwig close, content with having her to himself, if for only the night.

**oOoOoOo**

Up in Heaven, Germania frowned. Every day he watched the happenings on earth the more he began to worry for the future. Things were not going to be easy for Germans, of that he was certain. He thought that perhaps it was time for him to go speak with God himself.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Oh, hello everyone! Sorry for such a long delay! Between school, choir, and my own wild imagination giving me other ideas, I sortta fell behind here. ^/^" Confession, I sort of had this done for a while, but couldn't quite get it how I wanted it, but I think I worked it out, so I hope you liked it. :)

**German: **_Es tut mir leid_- "I'm sorry". _Piefke-_ (Austrian insult for Prussians) like. "Germanized-Polish"

**History: **If you didn't catch it, Prussia and Austria's back and forth insults at the end before Germany got there was about WWII. When Gilbert calls Roderich a traitor, it's in reference to after the war, the Austrians basically said that they had no part in the war and that the Germans had been the ones to take over them like they had everyone else, forcing them to work, not remembering how they gave the Nazi's a parade when they entered into their country. And when Gilbert says that the ideas were originally Roderich, that's also due to the fact that many of the Nazi ideas were originally bred in Austria, though they were changed and modified along the way. The rest you should really know, but if you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

'**Nother Note: **And so, here we are! I might not be able to update again for a while (not as long as last time hopefully!) because of end of term papers and finals coming up, but perhaps this will tide you over until. Please drop me a review on your way out. I'd be most beholdin' to ya!


	13. Chapter 12: A Hint of Jealousy

Happy (slightly late) Birthday, Canada…wherever you may be! Whether near the island of Alaska, as rumored, or near mythical Atlantis! ;P

I would have gotten this finished sooner, in time for good ol' whathisface's birthday, but a huge storm prevented me internet access for half the night. I didn't curse the rain, though, as it was desperately needed. So I hope all our Canadian friends had a great day to celebrate…who?...That's right, Canada! ;)

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><p><strong>Chapter Twelve: A Hint of Jealousy<strong>

As Ludwig buttered her toast calmly, she tried desperately to ignore the tension in the room that was now radiating off of the two males at the table. The previous night had been, in her opinion, a complete and total disaster when Austria alerted Merkel, who had obviously been in a terrible mood having been woken up in the middle of the night and dragged to investigate the alleged scandal Prussia had created while Germany had "disappeared". Now, at the table, Gilbert was glaring quite faithfully at Roderich, furious with the southern Germanic nation for having gotten involved in German affairs while the aristocrat had long ago developed the perfect technique of remaining aloof and indifferent to such hate-filled stares, which only served to infuriate the albino more.

But this was not something Ludwig wanted to worry about at the moment. The fact was that she was tired, refusing to break and reorganizing her schedule too differently, and was running on three hours of sleep, as were the other two at the table, didn't help matters any. She couldn't worry about her brother killing Austria—something she actually wasn't sure she had the heart or inclination to stop should he decided to do so—and she tried to mentally prepare herself for the day ahead of her and the call Merkel had promised.

So, while breakfast might have been considered unbearable for many with all the hatred wafting through the air, Ludwig outright ignored it with little trouble. She had years of practice. When she was finished with her meal, she did the dishes, the same as every other morning, and fed the dogs. When that was finished, she straightened up the living room and finally unloaded the car and unpacked all of the bags, even Gilbert's as he was too busy making sure Roderich wasn't doing anything in the house. The blonde sighed, knowing that no matter how hard she tried, today was going to be a terribly long, long day, especially when she heard a disgusted sigh escape the brunette's lips when she walked by and towards the basement.

When she was down in her brother's room, the younger German was pleased to see that it was still in its usual, semi-tidy state. The bed was still made since Gilbert had slept with her last night, and most of the clothes were picked up off the floor and put away, with the exception of a few shirts that hung over his desk chair, which made it not too mess for the germ-a-phobic German. There were still a few beer cans sitting on the desk and nightstand, but really, they weren't hurting anything. It would have driven Ludwig crazy had it been her own room, but Gilbert was different, he could live with a little clutter, having gotten used to it with his collection of knickknacks he seemed obsessed with collecting.

Shaking her head at her brother's living conditions, the blonde opened the albino's suitcase and began putting the extra clothes he'd brought back into their proper draws. As she did so, Ludwig mentally went through how many loads of laundry she was going to have to do for the day to wash their travel, dirty clothes as well as some of the others that had been left behind before the trip. So, with her mind thus engaged, the last thing she was thinking about when she opened up Gilbert's sock draw was finding black lingerie with matching high heels.

Shocked, Ludwig actually dropped the socks she had been holding to stare open mouthed at the skimpy outfit wordlessly. Although she didn't know why, she felt the strange urge to lift it up to inspect it. Suddenly paranoid, the girl looked over her shoulder, afraid to get caught snooping in her brother's things, before she lifted it out of the draw and into the light to get a better look at it.

To her surprise, it was a black, lacy number that screamed "high fashion" and the suspicion was confirmed on the price tags that still hung silently in front of her face. Now that it was out, she saw that there were matching hose and a thong down in the draw as well, folded surprisingly neatly. Overall, it was a nice set, something Ludwig could have probably appreciated better when she had been a man, but now she felt different. Shockingly, however, was the sudden burst of jealousy and fear as one question kept bouncing around in her brain: Just who the hell did Gilbert buy this for?

Suddenly unable to look at the outfit any longer, Ludwig put it back in exactly as she'd found it before slamming the draw closed, resisting the urge to tear it apart. It wouldn't have been very hard. She ended up setting the socks and boxers on top of the dresser, she was so angry at the skimpy outfit that she didn't want to look at it again. Fury growing, she stuffed the remaining clothes in their proper draws before it occurred to the blonde that perhaps this wasn't such a big deal. Maybe Gilbert had gotten it as a joke? Maybe he's gotten it for a friend too embarrassed to go into a lingerie store or something? It was a possibility. Maybe, just maybe she was blowing this all out of apportions. But then again, maybe not…

The girl flinched slightly when she heard the front door slam shut and heard stomping around upstairs. Frowning, the blonde hurried to finish her task before rushing to the stairs. If Gilbert and Roderich were fighting, she would kill them both, especially if they broke something. Damn rivalry! Why couldn't they just pretend to ignore it?

Marching up the steps, not caring that she might seem less intimidating in women's slacks and shirt, Germany decided that maybe she should teach those two older nations a lesson they couldn't forget. She was sick and tired of mediating between the two of them all the time, and frankly she was sick of it. Woman or not, Ludwig knew she was still capable of kicking their asses and make stop their bickering. Just because she didn't have a penis anymore didn't mean she couldn't be commanding! She was still _Germany_!She had commanded armies, drove tanks, flew bomber planes, dove subs, shot and killed many men, she could handle her other half and the old empire easily. All it took was pitching her voice in just the right way.

Throwing open the door, Ludwig stomped into the living room, tracking her prey. "_Verdamnt! _If you two have br…" upon entering the living room, she instantly snapped her mouth closed, losing her defensive stance to gawk at the inhabitance in the room.

Ludwig decided that God was angry with her and was punishing her for sins unknown. There was really no other explanation for why everything absolutely, astronomically bad was happening to her. No one else in the world had as bad luck as her and she was convinced that the only other person in history who had had it worse off than her had been Job. She shifted uncomfortable as she stood blushing before four bickering nations. Roderich sat on the couch with a cup of tea, looking wholly annoyed, yet strangely smug as Spain held back a very furious albino with France sitting opposite Austria looking amused. Upon seeing the blonde beauty that had charged in among them, France was, of course, the first to come of his surprise, sitting up appreciatively.

"_Ohonhonhon_~" he laughed lightly, standing up with a dreadfully charming smile on his lips, that for the first time, Ludwig realized really was a nice smile. "And what have we here?" he walked around the blushing German slowly. "_Prussie _did not tell me he had hired a _gorgeous _little flower to clean his house."

Germany took a step away from the Frenchman and closer to her cousin. "_Sí, sí_!" Spain chirped, his hold on the albino suddenly falling away as he, too, stood up straight to smile at the blonde woman across from him. And again, Ludwig found that Spain's smile wasn't as bad as she used to think either. The thought made the blush expand over her cheeks. "_Hola, Senorita,_" like France, Spain's voice turned into a purr.

Looking down at Roderich for help, Germany found her cousin scowling disapprovingly at both France and Spain, though he didn't say anything in his cousin's defense. Instead, the brunette, took Ludwig's hand in his, startling her for a moment as she tried to get out of his hold. But instead of letting go, Roderich stood, still holding on to her, a condescending smirk on his lips as the two romantic nations looked disappointed at the gesture. "Why don't you go make more tea, my dear," he ordered quietly. "Perhaps then _Herr Preuβen_ will have his…guests taken care of?"

Still glaring at the Austrian, Gilbert nodded his head slowly, before walking over and literally pulling Ludwig's hand out of Roderich's hold. "Go to the kitchen and just stay there until I get you," he muttered under his breath to her.

The feeling of her brother's breath on her ear, tickling her neck, sent a shock equivalent to an electric jolt through the blonde's body. Hot breath, still with the smell of eggs and ham from breakfast, and the forever lingering sent of beer, made her tense. Biting her bottom lip hard, Ludwig nodded once and turned away sharply, feeling her face heat up as she did so, as she went to the kitchen, leaving her brother to deal with the unexpected company of his best friends.

Although she had no intentions of making any for the other two intruding nations, the idea of making tea sounded delightful. Maybe it would help calm her down. The scent of jasmine always had that effect on her. And so, without thought, she dug out her teakettle and began boiling water, letting her thoughts wander as she tried not to worry about the sudden invasion from France and Spain. Without meaning to, the lacy black lingerie sprang up in her mind.

Who was that _for_? Was it for France or Spain? Is that why they were here, to pick it up? Since those two were really the only close friends Gilbert had, it would make sense that the albino had picked it up for either one of them. But no, neither of the two romantic nations would not have _any _trouble going into a lingerie store for themselves. They would _enjoy_ their venture into such a store and would have no reservations in being seen. So that ruled out the possibility of her brother having bought it for someone else, so that meant he had bought it for himself. Which meant that he had gotten it for a woman…but _who_?

Scowling, not realizing she had cracked off the handle of one of the mugs she'd set out, Ludwig wracked her brain trying to think of a woman who Gilbert would think enough of to actually _buy _something for, even if he'd get something out of the lingerie as well. The gesture was so unlike her brother that it confused and annoyed the blonde. Gilbert had no girlfriend that she knew of, and if he were having some kind of fling, he wouldn't buy something for the girl, seeing as she was probably a slut anyway and had such outfits of her own. Who was it then? _Who_? The blonde didn't even realize that the bitterness taking hold of her was slowly poisoning her heart.

"Careful, _mon cher_, you may cut yourself."

Ludwig jumped at not only the quiet words, but at the warm hands on her shoulders and the hot breath on her neck. It was different than the previous wisps of breath, wine nearly overpowering her senses with its sweetness. It was unpleasant, and unlike previously, it made her pale.

Whipping her head around, Germany saw twinkling blue eyes, and instinctively pushed the long haired nation away from her. The Frenchman was taken off guard, but he recovered remarkably well, and even chuckled. It was smooth to the ears, almost musical, as he straightened up. "Forgive me, beautiful, I didn't mean to startle you."

Still ashen, Ludwig unexpectedly became furious. France wasn't bothering to cover up his admiration for her, no his longing was clearly written on his face as he looked her new body over appreciatively. The obvious lust infuriated Ludwig, so much so that she fought the urge to hurt the other nation. How dare he come into her home, touching her, staring at her with such hungry eyes? He didn't even know who she was, yet he came on to her with such sickening charm, expecting her to fall into his arms so he could take advantage of her.

Without thinking of the consequences, Ludwig lost the battle and pulled back her arm to punch France square in the jaw. The Frenchman fell backwards onto the floor with a loud _thud_, and cried out from the sudden attack. A thrill shot up Germany's spine, and she yearned for her old enemy to rise so she could hit him again. All of the stress, the bottle up nervousness and anger had finally found a release, and she wanted nothing more than to beat the crap out of the blonde man on the floor. It actually didn't even have to be France, it could be Spain or Austria, or even her brother. Anyone would do at the moment, she just needed a target to focus her aggression on.

Harming France didn't go unnoticed from the other room, and soon a pair of concerned green eyes, followed by scornful purple and angry reds made themselves known into the kitchen, even as startled blues looked up at Ludwig from the floor. "What was that?" France cried out in despair, holding a hand to his jaw in pain.

"Touch me again and I'll cut off your hands," Germany snarled, secretly hoping someone else would try and take a hold of her so she had a more believable excuse to start fighting again.

Gilbert looked torn between wanting to laugh and wanting to kick his more perverted friend while he was down. "You touched her?" he snarled, apparently more angry than delighted at his friend's misfortune.

"Shut up!" the girl barked at her brother. The image of an unknown woman dressed in the sexy little lingerie ensemble flashed in her mind, and she became even more infuriated, feeling the great, almost desperate need to start hurting something, someone. "This is all your fault!" she cried.

"_My _fault?" the Prussian looked taken back, insulted. "How the hell is this _my_ fault?"

The demanding tone was almost always present in Gilbert's voice, but at the moment, it only added to Ludwig's anger, and it took all the self control she possessed to stop herself from beating that pale, perfect white skin black and blue. "They're _your _friends, it's _your _fault they're here!" she screamed, her hands forming fists at her sides as she began to shake with fury. She had kept so much in lately that now that a little had gotten free, she couldn't contain it anymore.

"Calm down, my dear," Roderich made the bold move of trying to place a comforting hand on the fuming woman's shoulder, but the blonde slapped it away before it ever reached its destination with bone-cracking force.

"Don't touch me!" she snapped. "This is your fault too! Why can't you ever stay out of my affairs?"

It never ceased to amaze Ludwig how Spain could always stand up to the face of furious nations the way he did. Maybe it was his easygoing manner that helped him coup with the nastiest of tempers. Maybe it was from having to raise Romano that he had learned not to flinch at such terrible attitudes. But whatever the case, he now raised his hands up in a surrendering sort of gesture, as though wanting to calm the trembling woman across from him. He didn't make the mistake of walking towards her, but instead, held her eyes with his calming, worried green ones. "It's okay," he coed. "Whatever's happened, _Senorita_, I'm sure it'll all get worked out. Why don't you take some nice, deep breaths, eh? It will make you feel better," he smiled hesitantly.

Ludwig merely scowled in return. "Shut up," she barked. "I don't _want _to calm down." She didn't feel ashamed to admit it. It was the truth, and although she was sure it probably made her a horrible person, she couldn't deny how she felt, not anymore. "I want you and that pervert out of my house!" she pointed to France, who was only now scrambling off the floor.

The four men in the room stood motionlessly as they watched the panting young woman during the bizarre sort of standoff. Eventually, Gilbert stepped forward, cautiously. Ludwig tensed. "You _need _to calm down," he told her sternly. When the blonde's scowl darkened, the albino stood up straighter, squaring his shoulders before ordering in his most frightening militaristic voice, "Now."

It might have worked, the harsh Prussian command, as it usually triggered in Germany's mind the old need to serve him for the Empire, the Empire where she had been in nearly all cases his subordinate, back to a time when Prussia was feared throughout Europe, but not this time. Instead Ludwig's raging emotions got the better of her, and she was not completely in control of herself. Too many things were happening to Germany all at once, things in which couldn't be explained, couldn't really be dealt with. Ludwig had never been particularly emotional and thus had never been able to sort through her own with affective ease. She bottled them up, kept them to herself, buried far beneath the surface. It wasn't really healthy and had the side effect of leaving the German bitter as the emotions were never sorted through properly to be let go and forgiven. And when Ludwig exploded, she exploded.

In a flash, the blonde punched her brother similarly to what she had done to the Frenchman not too long ago. Unlike France, Gilbert was not completely taken by surprise as he must have recognized the look in her eyes and had tried to adjust his stance. It had not been quick enough for him to avoid the punch, but it had been enough to keep him on his feet, and not a moment after his head had snapped to the side from the force of the blow, he went on his own attack.

Like the other morning when they had wrestled in bed, the albino tried to grab Ludwig and pin her arms at her sides. Knowing the trick, she evaded him, landing a punch on his chest. Even though it must have hurt, Gilbert came at her again, this time kicking her in the legs. She stumbled, but managed to keep on her feet, instinctively flinging out an arm, landing a slap across the elder German's face.

When she looked back, Germany saw anger radiating in those red eyes that always sparkled with a twisted sort of mirth, and for once, it made her smirk. It felt good to hurt him, a feeling that had never before manifested in the girl before. She wanted to hurt him just as she had been hurt over the course of her strange transformation. Hurt him the way she had hurt when he had laughed at her for her diminished height, when he had gloated over her reduced strength. But most of all, she wanted to make him hurt the way she hurt when he looked at her now, the way those red eyes she had always adored now made her stomach clench painfully in a ways she didn't understand. To make him suffer for not telling her about the girl that lingerie was meant for.

But with the return of anger burning in those red eyes, came the true wrath of Prussia. Seemingly unfazed by the blow to the face, Gilbert charged forward, and the two sibling began a fist fight more elegant than the bar brawls they were known for nowadays. The other three men looked stunned by the events taking place, France and Spain looking horrified as disdainful acceptance came across Austria's features as he seemed to remember that even though Ludwig was a woman, she was still Ludwig. But not having the same understanding as the aristocratic brunette, the other two men were crying out for their third member to stop his assault against, what in their minds, was just a beautiful, upset woman, apparently not realizing that said woman held abnormal strength.

Snarling at one another like bulldogs over a bone, the two Germans punched each other, neither flinching as powerful blows hit each other. But when one particularly powerful blow hit Ludwig's shoulder, she stumbled back ever so slightly, and taking advantage of her momentary lapse of concentration, Gilbert finally managed to grab her, pinning her arms at her sides. "_Halt_!" he commanded.

Ludwig struggled wildly, the same as the other morning, kicking and thrashing about. "Let go of me!" she cried. "Let go!"

Although he was stronger now, it was still a chore for the albino to keep a hold of the bucking blonde. "Calm down!" he demanded.

"Get off!" she screamed, before bashing her head against her brothers, the trick that had helped her last time.

…Only this time, Gilbert didn't let go. Instead, the Prussian's hold seemed to grow stronger, as though that hit to the head had forged the albino into steel. He continued to let his sister thrash against him, taking the abuse with surprising calm, his face set in a grim mask.

After another five minutes, at last, Ludwig felt all of her energy drain from her body, and slowly, she stopped her violent movements, until she leaned on the albino, utterly exhausted. The burning desire to fight had been sated, and the helplessness of her situation lessened, enough to retreat to the dark corners of her mind as a small part of her felt relieved that she had finally been able to _do _something. And with one last, weak attempt to free herself, Ludwig sagged completely in her brother's grasp, both of them panting.

While the others in the room began speaking all at once, their frantic voices all mixed together in the background, but Ludwig didn't worry about them for the time being. She let her brother hold her up, letting the relief and shame sink into her. She felt lighter at finally being able to expend so much energy, to take out her frustrations, yet ashamed she had taken it out on her brother. Her earlier musings, while truthful, still left her ashamed, having no right to lose control like that. But the smell of leather, cotton, and sweat calmed her as she buried her nose into her brother's chest, letting the faint scent of beer numb her guilt for the time being.

When she was sure she wouldn't either start punching him again or start crying, the blonde tentatively peeked up at her brother, to find him looking down at her with that strange expression he seemed to have developed since her transformation. Inspecting him, Ludwig realized that she had managed to damage him much more than she'd thought while fighting. There was a cut just above his left eyebrow, the same eye slowly starting to blacken. His lips had been split, and there was a knot growing on his forehead from where she had hit him. His cheeks were flushed from using so much energy as well as from where she'd hit him. The white-silver hair was sticking up at weird angles, and his chest where she was perched so comfortably was heaving. Seeing him like this brought back so many memories, memories of a time when he had always gone out to fight, to fight for her. Her chest tightened excruciatingly.

Ignoring the others as well, Gilbert kept eye contact with the blonde in his arms before sighing. "Feel better?"

Nodding slowly, Ludwig stood up, out of the warm, protective hold of the elder German. It saddened her, though she couldn't say why. One look, however, told her that he recognized her frustrations, at least in part. A silent agreement and understanding passed between them.

"What was that?" Spain cried in despair as he ran towards his friend and the woman he believed he didn't know. "Are you both okay?"

France was immediately at Ludwig's side, and while it annoyed her, she didn't have the energy to make him leave at the moment. "You're gorgeous face!" the Frenchman despaired, letting his hands hover over the younger German, though he dared not touch her.

Gilbert's cracked lips turned upwards into an acrid smirk, at his friend's concern, and when Ludwig caught his eye, he rolled them. She smirked back, not really understanding why France's action, which moments ago sent her into a spiraling rage, now amused her as much as it did, but it did.

A snort from the side, however, broke the sibling's quiet moment of amusement. "Well, I hope you're done," Austria crossed his arms disapprovingly. "I would have expected such behavior from him," he pointed to the albino, "but not from you, Ludwig."

Ludwig's face paled. Two sharp gasps sent her heart into rapid beats, pounding against her ribcage. "WHAT?"

"_Österreich_!" Gilbert's furious exclamation filled the air, even as the southern Germanic nation looked startled by his own slip up.

"_Alamania_?" Spain gawked.

"_Impossiblé_," France gasped. "This is _not _that crude, barbaric man."

"I kicked your ass nearly seventy-years ago, and I damn well will do it again if you don't shut your mouth, Frances," the blonde snapped, turning burning blue eyes upon the man next to her.

"_Mon Dieu_!" the Frenchman exclaimed.

"Germany?" Spain cried. "Wha…What happened to you?"

"Nothing!" Gilbert cried desperately, apparently not realizing how stupid he sounded, or the looks both Germany and Austria shot him. "It's not your problem," he tried again.

The two other members of the Bad Touch Trio did not look dissuaded by the albino's sharp tone or lame arguments. Looking thoroughly annoyed with his friend's disbelief, and becoming self-conscious, the albino wrapped a protective arm around his sister, looking almost desperate to maintain his dignity. "Well it isn't!"

"They're going to find out tomorrow anyway, Gilbert," Roderich spoke up.

"You shut up!" the albino turned on the Austrian viciously, tightening the grip he had on his sister's shoulder, causing the girl to wince slightly. "This is your fault!"

"You're mean, you're going to announce what happened tomorrow?" Spain perked up hopefully.

"_Non_," France shook his head, his long blonde hair swaying with his movements. "I will not wait until then," he replied stubbornly.

It was truly amazing how the Frenchman was able to stand up in the face of the nearly identical withered glares that the two Germans sent his way, but somehow he did. While she had spent an enormous amount of energy from her fight with her brother, Ludwig found that maybe she had just enough to take care of the obnoxious man. And sensing this, France went and stood beside Spain, as though the Spaniard could stop Germany's fury when it returned.

When neither German was willing to speak, Austria took it upon himself, apparently believing that he had the right to explain. "They're not sure how it happened," the aristocrat elaborated, "but they're going to make a public announcement tomorrow."

Again, the German siblings sent another glare the Austrian's way.

"Does anyone else know?" France asked, curiosity burning in his eyes.

Sighing, Ludwig shrugged off her brother's arm and went to sit down at the table. "England," she admitted, only then realizing how terrible her leg hurt. Apparently Gilbert's kick had been harder than she'd thought. "We went to him to see if he knew how this," she gestured to herself, "could have happened."

"_Angleterre_ found out before me?" the blonde lamented.

"_Ja_," Ludwig nodded. "Now you can both get the hell out of here," she growled to the two uninvited guests. "Don't say anything until tomorrow, or I'll kill you both," she threatened.

The two Mediterranean nations nodded hastily, apparently still afraid of her despite her loss of strength. Good. Let them be afraid. She was still Germany, after all, the most powerful nation in the European Union, and she'd be damned if she let the others believe she was weak.

The threat left an awkwardness hanging in the air. Gilbert came and sat down next to his sister, plopping heavily into the chair. Apparently she had worn him out as much as he had her, and it made Ludwig want to smile. Maybe she wasn't that much weaker than him. Maybe she hadn't lost the respect she had fought so hard for…

"So, you two can leave now," the albino said, irritation lacing his voice. "You too, Austria."

Their southern neighbor looked offended while the more western nations seemed rooted in place. "That's it?" Spain ask as though it had just popped out. "What are you going to do about this? I mean, I know you said you're announcing it, but what do you think other people will say?"

That same worry that Ludwig had been trying to ignore had now been uttered out loud, but before she could have another breakdown, Gilbert was there for her defense. "It doesn't matter what they say, because she's still West." The confidence and firmness in the albino's voice was a great comfort to the confused, tired girl. "And she's still got me."

"Yes, we saw," France said dryly. "You're still Germany's punching bag."

"You—!"

Of course the phone rang at that moment, and Ludwig had to bite back a groan. Standing up stiffly, she walked to the phone, too proud to let her limp show, as she answered. "_Hallo_?"

There was a slight pause on the other end before a sigh. "_Guten Tag, Deutschland_."

"Chancellor," Ludwig straightened up immediately, as though under inspection.

"I hope you and your brother are both well rested," Merkel offered graciously, her apparent anger and annoyance from the previous night must have lessened quite a bit now that she herself was rested.

"Yes, thank you," the nation lied. "You are calling about tomorrow's announcement?"

"Yes," Ludwig could almost hear the other woman nod. "It's been scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at one o'clock."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"I will be over later this afternoon around two to help you go over what you are to say," the chancellor went on.

"Of course."

"Please tell _Preuβen_ that I expect him to speak as well, and I will be helping him with his speech."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"And…" Merkel trailed off. "And please get rid of Austria." She sounded suddenly very tired. "It's…difficult to remain diplomatic with those two in the same room."

Ludwig didn't need clarification. "Of course," the nation nodded.

"Thank you. I will see you soon. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Hanging up the phone, the blonde nearly sagged with relief. She had expected Merkel to still be angry, but apparently, the Chancellor was in a more understanding mood than the previous night. The human must have been under quiet a lot of stress to have snapped at all of them like that the following evening, though Germany couldn't really blame her. She wouldn't have liked being woken by Austria in the early morning, listening to accusations and strange notions of half of her nation traveling with a prostitute while the other half had disappeared, before the other half came back to tell her that his brother had turned into a woman. The human must have been about crazy.

"What was that about?" Gilbert called from the kitchen. Looking back, Ludwig found her brother had opened a bottle of beer, at ten in the morning, even as France and Spain had joined him at sitting around the table. Austria stood leaning on the counter. Smiling bitterly, the younger German walked back into the kitchen, sending hard stares around at the nations that didn't belong in her house.

"Nothing," she shrugged innocently. "Just a call saying that everyone who does not live here needs to get the hell out."

"But—" France began.

But Ludwig was tired of asking _nicely_. Whistling a long, sharp call, her three dogs came barreling into the kitchen, barking as they went to their master. Austria, France, and Spain each looked a bit uncomfortable with the arrival of Germany's pets. France especially.

"You have three seconds to get out," she informed them crisply, "or I'll sic them on you."

"You can't—!" Austria began to protest, but Ludwig was tired of it.

"Three dogs, three nuisances, three seconds." Her eyes narrowed into slits. "_Eins_."

"G-Germany, please!" Spain pleaded as he got to his feet.

"_Zwei_."

France jumped up, visibly shaking, apparently remember the last time he had had the German dogs after him. "Let's go!" he tried to grab both former Hapsburg-ruled nations.

"_Drei_." There was a slight pause where the other three nations held their breaths. "Sic'em boys!"

The three dogs leapt into action, affectively chasing the other three nations out of the house and into the streets, their barking and Gilbert's laughing ringing out through the air. When the other nations were running in the road, Germany called back her dogs, not wanting them to get hit, before she slammed the door shut once they were all safe inside.

"That was _awesome_!" the albino cried, slapping his knee as his peals of laughter bounced around the kitchen.

"Shut up," the girl muttered. "Get ready," she ordered him sternly, raising her voice so that she was heard. At the albino's annoyed, curious gaze, the blonde elaborated. "Merkel's coming later to help us with tomorrow."

Gilbert sat up straighter in his chair. "You're letting her come here? After she accused _me _and took Austria's side last night?"

Although he had a right to be angry, Ludwig couldn't completely fault her poor chancellor. After all, the albino had done some pretty crazy, stupid things in her time as chancellor, always leaving her to resolve issues when the Prussian snuck off to bother Austria for no apparent reason or start a drunken brawl somewhere with France and Spain not far behind, but still, the blonde could understand her brother's hurt at not being believed by his own leader.

"Just do it," she sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. When she saw red eyes harden, not willing to comply, she unknowingly blurted out, "For me?"

The albino stiffened, before his shoulders visibly sagged. He looked away from his sister's quietly pleading eyes before he sighed a disgusted sort of sigh. "Fine," he mumbled before standing up and stalking out of the kitchen to his room.

Ludwig didn't move until she heard the door to her brother's bedroom door slam shut. Only then did the girl allow her own shoulders to sag and she slowly limped up the stairs and into her bedroom. She shut the door much quieter than her brother, before she decided that she needed a shower. She hadn't had the time this morning, and now she desperately needed one.

Setting out yet another outfit, lamenting at having to get another outfit dirty, Ludwig went to the bathroom and shut herself in. As she stripped, she eyes happened upon the mirror. She was not at all surprised to see that her face wasn't much better than her brothers, but knew that it would probably all be healed by the time Merkel arrived in about four hours. She _hoped _that it would be healed by them.

But once finished examining her wounds all over her body, Ludwig stared at her reflection once again. Her eyes looked tired, and her face was pale. The emotions she had always worked so hard to keep in check seemed to be swirling around just under the surface, betrayed by her eyes. She still couldn't believe how she had exploded and actually had a fist fight in her kitchen with her brother. It was just like she had snapped, unable to handle it anymore.

Sighing, she went over to the shower and started it up. She waited for the water to heat a bit before stepping in. She stood under the hot water for a minute, letting the heat seep into her body before she began lathering up the soap. As she cleaned her new body, the blonde couldn't help but be amazed at her new anatomy. Curvy hips, shapely legs, and of course, large breasts were the most striking differences other than the absence of pieces between her legs. Although it was hard to believe, Germany had turned into a beautiful woman, if the expressions from all the males she had run into were any judge.

And that's when it hit her. She was beautiful. Deep down, Ludwig had known this, the old, male part of her mind already having confirmed this long ago, but it was only then that the female part of her mind seemed to grasp the concept. She was beautiful, and realizing this only made the idea of her brother buying lingerie for another woman when he had her all the more maddening. Why should he care about other women? Wasn't she good enough for him?

Her eyes widened in disgust immediately after the jealous thoughts presented themselves. This was her _brother _she was thinking about! Sister were not supposed to be jealous of their brothers buying lingerie for other women. Just the idea of incest was appalling, and it made the blonde feel ill knowing that she had sincerely been envious of the woman who had attracted her brother's interest. Why should she care if Gilbert was dating?...a woman he didn't tell her about…even though he told her everything…

_Well that's just it,_ Ludwig thought comfortingly. _You're jealous because some woman has diverted your _Bruder's _attention away from you and he hasn't told you about her yet. That's all. You're not really…not jealous_ _like _that_…_

Her thoughts trailed off as hopeless confusion took hold of her and wouldn't let go. So instead of working out the problem, bullying through it, like she always did with other issues, the blonde decided to ignore it. It was for the best. It would all sort itself out in the end.

And so, she finished up her show and began getting ready for the Chancellor, keeping her mind far away from the thoughts of a certain albino's love life, lingerie, or romance in general.

**oOoOoOo**

Up in Heaven, Germania frowned in concern as he watched events playing out. God had told him not to worry, that everything was in His hands, but the old nation couldn't help but be concerned. With the way everything was going, he wasn't sure either his grandson or adoptive grandson would come out of this mess sane. But who was he to doubt God? Despite his misgivings, Germania stayed silent, wishing deeply that he could kill Rome a second time.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Uh-oh. Germany, what's gotten in to you now? Green is such an unbecoming color, I must say! ;) Well, update of more insanity. Poor Germany had a break down. Please, all of these wild mood swings will be explained, it's not just me being a crappy write, I promise…there's other reasons too. XD

**A quick word:** Everyone seemed so upset with Merkel getting angry at Prussia last chapter. I _know _Merkel is an Eastern German. I _know _it seems unfair that she would side with Austria over Prussia, but please, think of this logically from an emotional point of view (paradox?). The Chancellor was woken up in the early hours of the morning by a concerned, pushy Austria, with news that half her nation had illegally smuggled in someone, while the other half of the nation had been "missing" for days with no word, just sending in his eccentric "lazy" brother. Add in the fact that Prussia's known for causing trouble to Austria and then having some girl claim she's the miss half of your nation…it was a confusing situation for Merkel, and she latched onto the only argument that seemed to make any sense at such an ungodly hour of the morning: Austria's. So don't be too upset with her reaction (or my writing) because I had been character-Merkel, not knowing what was really going on, I would have sided with Austria too.

'**Nother Note: **Again, if you're concerned by Ludwig's melt down into violence, please rest assured it will be explained, and maybe start thinking from the contradictory "logical-emotional point of view". (I think Spock's going to come kick my ass for coining this statement . ) Any other concerns, complaints, let me know nicely, and I'll try to answer them. Please drop a review as I always love hearing from you guys. _Danke schön_~ :)


	14. Chapter 13: Scheiβe

**Chapter Thirteen: Scheiβe**

After kicking out all of the unwanted guests, Gilbert had to admit, the house was a lot quieter and West's temper improved quite a bit. It had really surprised him when the girl had suddenly snapped and gone blitzkrieg on France's ass…and then his, but it had probably been healthy for her. After all, despite Ludwig's snapping and growling, she had been taking this transformation quite well, much better than he would have should he have woken up as the member of the opposite sex, so it was really only a matter of time before she exploded and went for blood. Really, Gilbert had been the one to snap more than she had, but his had been stemmed from jealousy, not from the stress of his sibling suddenly changing…should he feel guilty for that?

But the day when Ludwig had flipped out came and went much too quickly for the German personifications liking. Merkel had come and picked out their outfits, wanting them to look their very best, before giving them the speeches they would be saying at the press conference. Ludwig was nervous about the whole thing, obviously, and ever since Merkel had left yesterday, the blonde had been on the phone, desperate to get a hold of Britain, but for some reason, the Englishman never answered. To say the girl got a well rested night's sleep was a blatant lie.

So, the next morning came, Ludwig's eyes nearly redder than Gilbert's, and the two grabbed the outfits that they would be wearing later that afternoon, and took off to the office to get ready and for Merkel to lecture them some more. It wasn't that the albino didn't understand his Chancellor's worry and need to make sure everything was perfect, but all of these lectures lately, working and getting yelled at all the time, were really wearing the old nation down. Now he remembered why he'd opted to "retire" after Reunification. All this nation stuff was so tedious and boring nowadays, and the constant lecture without clear orders was getting on his nerves. He longed for the days when someone ordered him to do something, and he went and did it, no questions asked. And _real_ work, like going out and harassing Austria or beating the shit out of France. _That _was real work, work that he was good at, better than his over-thinking, bureaucratic sibling.

So, as they drove, Ludwig in the passenger seat today without argument—a miracle!—for the fact that she was so skittish, she actually didn't trust herself driving. Gilbert wasn't sure he had ever seen Ludwig like this before. Sure, in the blonde's younger days, there had been times when the younger German had been nervous, skittish even, but nothing _remotely _like this. Part of Prussia's training had been to teach his younger sibling to remain cool and collected in any situation. Apparently, since this wasn't battle, the blonde didn't know what to do. Weird, Prussia would have thought West would handle even changing into a woman better than she currently was. Maybe that's just because she was always so calm and collected all the time.

But, now was not the time to dwell on his sibling freaking out, time would be better spent thinking of ways to calm her down. Gilbert had a firm rule of not helping anyone that didn't have or never had the name of Prussia, since no one was as awesome as him, but Germany, under any name, shape, or form, had always been the one exception. Even though Germania had basically bribed the albino into watching over his only blood grandchild, soon enough, he had fallen in love with the younger blonde, wanting to play big brother to Ludwig and make sure that the younger nation grew up to be able to withstand anything and perhaps learn some of his awesomeness. There was just something about West that made the older nation want to protect the blonde. Always had been, always would be, he suspected.

"So, what lame ass shit did Merkel tell you to say today, huh?" he asked a bit nervously, trying to relieve some of the tension with a laugh.

The blonde muttered darkly, ringing her hands unconsciously. "J-just about what really happened…without me admitting that I was actively trying to hide it from everyone."

"_Gut, gut_," the albino nodded. "But I guess we're going have to talk to the Italians afterwards since they sort of saw us before."

Ludwig winced horrible, and she seemed to sit up straighter. "I…I'm not sure I want to face them… they…sort of…flirted…with me."

Gilbert's first instinct was to laugh, but then he remembered how ardently Romano had "fallen in love" with his sister, and the humor faded rather quickly. He didn't like the idea of an Italian with his sister, whether it be Romano or Veneziano. Either one would be horrible for his sister, in the Prussian's personal opinion, and he even liked Veneziano all right!... except the boy was a complete and total coward. And couldn't hold a gun proper. And didn't have a proper work ethic. And was a reason they lost both World Wars…Wait. Why exactly did he like him again?

"Well, I'll be there if Romano falls into conniptions or something," the albino promised. "And don't worry about Toni or Frances either. I called them up last night had had a _very _strong 'talk' so they know what they can and cannot do."

For the first time that morning, the blonde gave her brother an appreciative look, one that bespoke of relief and gratitude for his thoughtfulness. It made Gilbert smile. But Ludwig's indebtedness seemed to all but crumble away as she winced, wrapping her arms around her stomach. She was looking too pale.

Unable to stop himself, Gilbert found himself asking, "Are you okay?"

Ludwig looked miserable, and she sounded like it when she sighed. "I feel terrible," she admitted. "My stomach is all in knots and I feel like I could pass out."

"You really shouldn't be that worried, West," the albino wracked his brain to think of something comforting. "You still have my awesomeness to back you up."

"I know," the girl muttered. "But this is sort of a big deal. I'm about to humiliate myself in front of everyone and lose all of the respect I've been able to build up. No one's going to take me seriously anymore."

"They will if they know what's good for them!" the Prussian laughed, trying hard to ease his sister's turbulent emotions. "I mean, I could always show them some of the bruises I still have left from yesterday as proof."

That had coaxed a smirk from the blonde. "We'll leave that as a last resort maybe, but thank you."

By then they were at the office, and the albino parked before grabbing their stuff from the back. Ludwig didn't even yell this time about not being allowed to carry her own things, but walked into the building, her arms still wrapped firmly around herself. Gilbert wasn't sure why, but he was getting increasingly worried about his sister. This couldn't all be from nervousness could it? Was something wrong with her? The idea actually scared him. What if this transformation was slowing killing her or something?

But he shook those crazy thoughts from his mind. Ludwig was fine, she was just nervous. And who wouldn't be? This was a pretty big step, as she had said so herself, as the blonde had never been one to open up about her personal life, and to do so in front of everyone on global television was just freaky. Poor West.

Merkel met them at the door, and before the German personifications knew what was happening, two groups of people rushed them away, women taking Ludwig, men taking Gilbert. The siblings were able to throw a look to each other over their shoulders before they were separated. Despite being confused at first, it quickly became apparent that Merkel wanted everything to be perfect, to make sure there was as little criticism as possible, and as such, she'd hired people to help dress and make up her personifications. Everyone was already sure to want to judge and condemn the Germans for hiding this secret—even though it really wasn't the leaders' or the peoples' fault since they hadn't known either—but even if the rest of the world didn't really approve of everything that had happened, after their initial anger, they surely couldn't blame the two halves of Germany for what they did once they thought about it. And once they saw how well the two presented themselves, ridicule would fade away into compassion, or at least that's what Merkel was probably hoping for.

The men hired wasted no time in helping their albino personification change into the suit Merkel had picked out for him yesterday, and after making sure his hair and everything was presentable, they hammered away at him, helping him with his speech, and even began asking questions that would likely come up after he was finished speaking. Nothing was being left to chance in this, and Merkel was making sure everything was perfect…

Except, everything _wasn't _perfect.

When he had been putting on his suit, Gilbert had felt very uncomfortable. At first he had written it off as other people dressing him and it was the fact that they didn't know how to set his suit so that it fit perfect. About halfway through them working on his speech, and after all that time wiggling around, trying to readjust, it hit Gilbert.

"Uh, my suit doesn't fit."

"What?" one of the men snapped. "What do you mean it doesn't fit? It's your suit, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's mine," the albino scowled at the rude man. "But it just doesn't fit. Look at me? I feel like I'm going to rip this damn jacket the moment I move. The shirt clings way too much, and I mean, dammit, look at the pants? They're like fucking high waters! And my shoes don't fit either."

The men all shifted uncomfortable, but one brave soul ran from the room, only to return a moment later with a measuring tape. "Hold still," he demanded, before measuring the Prussian quickly, even his feet. After scribbling down his findings, he nodded. "There's a men's store not too far from here. I'll be back shortly, just help him with the speech, and I'll bring a new suit."

And that's just what happened. About fifteen minutes later, the one worker returned with a brand new suit and dress shoes, even a tie, and quickly the Prussian was changed. Even though he was confused, he had to admit he felt better in the new clothes. Eventually he stopped really paying attention to the men hammering away at him, questioning, making sure he enunciated properly, and set his mind wondering what had happened to his suit. Had West tried to wash it or something last night, feeling nervous and needing something to do? She knew better than to do that sort of thing. But still, she had been acting weird lately.

After another ten minutes of preparation, Merkel came in. She eyed the albino before frowning slightly. "That's not the suit I told you to bring." It wasn't spoken out of anger, just an observation with some confusion laced in for good measure.

"Something happened to my other one," Prussia admitted. "Johann had to run and get me this one."

The Chancellor's frown deepened, but she nodded slowly. "Very well. Germany is finished as well, if you two would like to relax for a bit before it's time for the announcement."

Gilbert nodded, and almost instantly blew past his leader to go see his sister. With the way she had been acting, he wanted to make sure the girl was okay. He had a strange feeling that she wasn't completely well, or that something mysterious had happened to her, like with what had happened with his suit. Maybe he could ask her what she knew about that.

Walking into the office his sister was in, Gilbert started to say something, but instantly slowed to a halt forgetting his words, and ended up staring like a fool. There was Ludwig, the former military dynamite, standing there as an attractive woman in a wonderful pale blue blouse that emphasized her bosom, a black skirt that went a little past her knees, and black high heels. But that's not what captured his attention, no he had seen her like this before. What shocked the elder German was the fact that his younger sibling stood there, face done up with makeup, and hair styled in a trendy, women's fashion. They had somehow taken the short, men's cut and made it into an effeminate masterpiece that many women would envy.

"W-West?" he couldn't help the way he eyes bulged a bit.

"I-I told them n-not to use the makeup," she mumbled, blushing under the fake blush.

Running a hand through his perfect hair, messing it up a bit, Gilbert let out a huffy sounding laugh, more from disbelief at seeing his sibling like this than anything else. She was gorgeous. "No, you look…good," he found himself repeating the words he had when he'd first seen her in women's clothing. "Really." Ludwig looked away, looking sick. "I, uh, like what they did with your hair," he attempted to be nice, though it was hard since he didn't have much practice in it.

"_Danke_," the blonde muttered. "That's a new suit," she observed after a moment of silence. "What happened to yours?"

"I don't know," Gilbert admitted. "I was sort of hoping you could have told me that."

"What do you mean?" the blonde's sharp eyes cut through her brother alarmingly like an inspector.

"When I put it on, it was too small," he shrugged his shoulder, walking over to sit down in one of the chairs, motioning for his sister to do the same. "I'd thought maybe you had washed it wrong, or something, and didn't notice."

"_Nein_," Ludwig shook her head, looking thoughtful. "It wasn't me…Strange."

As the girl meditated, thinking of possible explanations, Gilbert took the time to stare at her. She really did look amazing. She had looked lovely before, but that makeup really did bring out her eyes more, and her lips were just so pink now, darker pink. He wasn't sure why they bothered to put on blush though, as he was sure Ludwig would be taking care of that naturally all throughout the meeting, but then he knew little of the art of makeup. The only times he'd worn it was when under disguise and he'd had to make his skin look darker.

The two fell into a comfortable chat after that, each going over their speeches with one another and reviewing the questions they had been given and posing them to the other when it applied should they not have heard one when getting ready. It was almost normal, the albino had to admit. In the later years of the empire, the two siblings had often sat together reviewing notes and questions much like this. They had also in their first failed attempt at democracy, as well as the beginning of the dictatorship as Nazi Germany, but then stresses and forces had broken them apart and their attentions were needed with other things. And then there was the end of the war…

The two Germans soon heard racket outside, Germans yelling at someone to stop or they would release dogs, the security most likely, and then a heavily accented, heavily angry replies to the threats. Red met blue, and together the sibling stood up, just in time for the office door to burst open to reveal a very perturbed looking Englishman.

"I have information for _Herr Deutschland _and _Herr Preuβen_, so you wankers can just—!"

Ludwig cleared her throat, startling Britain enough to stop him mid rant. The Prussian didn't like the look of wonder that passed over the other blonde's face when he saw Germany. Not for the first time, Gilbert wondered why West had had to become such an awesomely sexy woman.

When security caught up, they looked furious, but Gilbert waved them off. "He's fine. Let him talk to us. We'll send him out when we're finished." The security detail still did not look pleased, but they nodded, accepting their eastern personification's command easily. When they were gone, the albino scowled at the island, who was still eyeing an embarrassed Germany, before snapping, "What do you want?"

Green eyes blinked several times, as though coming out of a haze before he nodded. "R-right!" He made a beeline for the desk and set down all of the books and papers he had messily piled in his arms at one point. "I've been reviewing all of my spell books, posed hypothetical questions to Norway, and even went as far as to beg my magical friends for a favor in helping me solve this."

"You've found a way to change me back!" a look of absolute relief flittered across Ludwig's face that it appeared that her legs might give out. Anger for him not answering or returning her calls completely forgotten. Hearing the excited, hopeful news, Gilbert winced.

The Englishman rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, frowning. "Uh, well, no actually. I haven't found a single spell that would change you back."

"What!" Germany looked sick all over again. "B-but why are you here then? Why come here only to tell me bad news?" she demanded, her temper flaring.

"Because I wanted to let you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I've tried my best, and that there is no way that this conference could have been avoided." The other blonde gave a sympathetic look. "While I'm still not sure why you changed, I believe I may safely say that what's happened to you has nothing to do with the realm of magic."

Both Germans eyed the other nation skeptically. "Then what the hell does it fall under? The Realm of Fucked up Shit?" Gilbert snorted, crossing his arms.

Despite the mocking of England's knowledge, the island nation didn't look offended for once. Instead, he stared at the albino curiously before his features set in a grim, knowing line. It was not the sort of look that made either of the Germans comfortable. "No," Britain went on, as though he hadn't recognized the insult at all. "What's happened, I believe, falls into the category of miracles."

"'Miracles'," Ludwig repeated flatly, all fight from her having drained.

"Indeed," the other nation nodded, turned to grab a piece of paper as he jotted Heaven only knew what down. "You see, magic is contained and designated to the earth. It is of the earth, that's why there is good magic and bad, just like the duality in nature between all living things. Magic allows anyone to manipulate or change situations, things, or even people in some cases. But the thing with magic is, no matter what, whatever's been done with magic, can be changed or put back. I've conducted may experiments for you, Ludwig, since getting back from Italy, and nothing I've done's worked. There is no information about what's happened to you, and nothing I do to even try and at least manipulate you into a more masculine being again has had any affect.

"No," the Englishman shook his head. "You are protected from magic, Ludwig, that's why I cannot do anything for you in this instance. Such protection comes only from Heaven, meaning that your transformation is a miracle, unable to be manipulated or changed. For whatever reason, you've caught the eye of someone up there, and were changed according to please His will. I don't know why, but there's nothing I can do."

Ludwig's shoulders slumped even more, and she looked like she might pass out. "So you're saying God did this to me and doesn't want me to change back?" Gilbert winced at how bitter it sounded.

"It would appear so," Britain sighed. "I have no authority to change a miracle, nor does anyone. So unless God changes His mind, I'm afraid you're stuck like this."

The new female nation flopped into her seat very unladylike, before closing her eyes. "_Wunderbar_," she muttered darkly.

Britain inspected the girl for a moment longer before he turned calculating eyes onto the albino. "So, how long have you been like this?" he asked.

A moment of panic flared up in the Prussian as he stared down at the younger man. "What? What do you mean? Nothing's wrong with me! Shit, am _I _gunna turn into a girl now or something?" Granted, being a girl would have probably have been better for him since it meant that he probably wouldn't be as attracted to West as he was, but then again, he didn't necessarily _want _to _not_ be attracted to West. It was a vicious cycle really, and made the albino begin to believe those rumors people put out about him being a masochist.

Ludwig sat up in her chair, looking almost as alarmed, but Britain gave a weak smile before shaking his head. "No, nothing like that. It's just, I was wondering, when did you start to grow?"

"Grow?" both Germans asked together, the blonde standing up to be at her brother's side. "What do you mean?" the albino asked.

The Englishman, still scribbling down notes, looked over the older German a moment before sighing, setting the notes aside. "Well, you see, while I was working on figuring out a way to change Germany back, I came to a startling realization that should I be unable to do so, some changes were bound to happen to the nation of Germany. You see, Ludwig grew to the size and build that she had because it was a direct reflection of German might as well as the stereotypical picture of the German people. But since changing, since she is a woman now, women's physical strength differs greatly from men's and no doubt the power within Ludwig would have to be rearranged. Seeing as she lost significant height, weight, and muscle mass, that meant that Germany itself would become a weaker nation.

"However," Britain went on at the other two nations horrified looks, "since Germany is a stable, prospering country, I knew that that couldn't be. Since her transformation, nothing bad had happened to the country at all. Everything went on as it did before Ludwig changed, so that meant that the power was redistributed."

"To me," Gilbert's eyes grew. "You mean _I _inherited the strength that West lost?"

"Precisely," England nodded approvingly. "When you two decided to join powers, even as a confederation before a country, the power distribution was completely off. I'd never actually stop to contemplate it much, but Germany was much stronger than you, Prussia. In all rights, you should have faded away and Germany should have taken over your lands completely." Both Germans shuddered, going pale.

"But that's not what happened," the other smiled at the two siblings understandingly. "For whatever reason, Ludwig kept you around. I'm not sure how, but she had managed to keep you alive despite the balance of power issue. It proved helpful after the split into East and West Germany, but even after, East Germany was worse off than West Germany. By all rights, again, Gilbert, you should have faded away, though for some reason, you're still here."

Gilbert hadn't really ever thought of things this way before either, but what Britain was saying made sense. Other nations faded away for less severe circumstances, yet here he was, still alive and prospering as the other half of the personification of Germany. He had always assumed that because Romano and Veneziano were two halves of the same country that it would work for anyone. He hadn't stopped to think about their division of power. Apparently the two were fairly equal in many ways.

Next to him, coming out of her initial surprise, Germany snorted. The two men looked at her as she crossed her arms severely, though there was a blush on her cheeks, as though she were embarrassed. "The reason why _Bruder _is still around is for the sole fact that he _created _me," she said evenly. "I didn't just 'keep him around.' How could I stand by and let him be destroyed after all he'd done?"

The albino's eyes widened. "That's why you insisted on sharing a capitol with me!" he exclaimed as comprehension dawned on him. "That's why you insisted when we were technically a confederation as an empire that we share everything! You were…you were safe guarding me in case something bad would happen?"

The blonde woman blushed red, but nodded. Britain stared at the other German in surprise before nodded approvingly at her foresight long ago. "Well, that explains that mystery," he smiled. "But it would appear times have changed. Since you safeguarded Prussia, since you now share everything, after reunification, there was still a strange struggle that should not have balanced as long or as well as it did. It seems with your transformation, Ludwig, that it was the last step the nation needed to truly heal and become whole again. Even though your power and might may have decreased a bit, it didn't just go away. It transferred into Gilbert so now there's a more even, perfect balance."

The two siblings eyed each other a moment, red filled with new found respect and appreciation, blue filled with embarrassment and sad acceptance. It was an awkward enough moment for the two siblings to share, but it was made even worse with the presence of Britain there as well, watching them. Ludwig, especially, seemed highly uncomfortable with having the island staring at her.

The discomfort was soon lifted a bit when Merkel came in. She eyed Britain a moment, but then seemed to remember his part in all this. She gave him an expectant, hopeful look, but the island simply shook his head. "Ah, well," Merkel sighed, before looking at her two personifications. "All right, everything's set up. Are you ready?"

Ludwig went pale, but Gilbert took her hand in his, squeezing it lightly. "_Ja_," he answered for both of them as England excused himself to find his way out to his own seat.

The Chancellor nodded before she turned to lead them outside where the stage was set up and all the cameras and chairs, where news reporters, ambassadors, and other nations were waiting for the mystery of Germany's disappearance from the business scene to be revealed. The whole way there, the albino did not release his sister's hand, but kept a firm grasp on it. Ludwig wobbled a bit, from the heels she wore as much as from nerves, and did not attempt to pull her hand away. Apparently this was one time in which she agreed that she needed all the support she could get.

Merkel walked on the stage first, and welcomed everyone and thanked them for coming. She gave her own little speech about the confusion that had happened lately before introducing Prussia to come up and speak. The albino gave his sister a comforting smile before leaving her to walk out on the stage as well. He hoped this would all go well.

**oOoOoOo**

Ludwig walked off the stage after giving her speech, shaking slightly, not to be blamed completely on the high heels, though she kept her head held high and her shoulders square, like the soldier her brother had taught her to be. The speeches went surprisingly well, or at least as well as anyone could have hoped for in this situation. The only real hitches had been when Romano had seen her first walk out on stage and had exclaimed to the whole world that they were "in the presence of an angel." What a nasty shock he'd gotten when Ludwig had told everyone who she was. The German couldn't remember seeing any one so traumatized before in her life. He just sat there, eyes wide, mouth hanging open, and remained frozen for the rest of her speech.

Yes, no one interrupted her, but when it had been time for questions, pretty well everyone attending had stood up and began asking, the two most adamant being Russia and America. But most of the questions this time had been asked of the humans, as now that the televised conference was over, the nations were all gathering together to question Ludwig and Gilbert privately. It was not something either German had really wanted, but knew was necessary.

Gilbert came up behind her and offered his arm. Normally Ludwig would not have accepted it, her pride and her stubbornness to remain as manly as possible would forbid her from doing so, but today, she took it with little prompting. She didn't feel well, her stomach still felt queasy. Merkel had said it was from nerves, but now that the most trying aspect of the conference was over, Germany wasn't so sure. Maybe this changing had some negative affects upon her that they hadn't considered? Since Gilbert had gained strength from her, maybe she was feeling the effects of losing it? That was a possibility.

The other nations had all been gathered into a conference room awaiting the arrival of the Germans, who had another, last minute prep talk with Merkel before they went in to face their peers. Ludwig griped onto her brother's arm until the very last minute, before walking into the room on her own, not wanting to appear weak before the others. Gilbert seemed to understand, but he remained close behind her, almost like a body guard.

The moment she walked in, however, Hungary came flying across the room and crushed the new woman in a hug. "Germany, look at you!" she exclaimed a little too cheerfully. "You're _beautiful_!"

Next to come were Romano and Veneziano. The elder Italian was blushing profusely, narrowing his eyes in inspection of the girl that he had fallen in love with, while the younger just hugged his old friend, snaking his arms around her waist and squeezing her a little too closely. It made the blonde blush.

"Germany!" Feliciano exclaimed, snuggling his cheek into her neck as he was still shorter than her. "You are so pretty! Ve~ Such a pretty girl!"

Not wanting to lose face, Ludwig pushed the Italian off of her roughly, muttering under her breath about it not being appropriate for him to act that way. But before she could get to the seat that had been reserved for her, Lovino stepped up to take his brother's place, taking her hand in his. "_Germania_," he began, eyes shining strangely, causing the German to gulp. "Had I known that it was you the other day," he paused, surprising Ludwig by kissing her hand, "I still would have flirted with you," he admitted, smiling charmingly. "I think you and I should get to be better friend, what do you say? Rekindle our old friendship?"

What "old friendship" he was talking about, Ludwig had no idea, but Romano's only answer was Gilbert's hand in his face as the albino pushed the smaller man away from his sister.

"Can we get this meeting started?" America called, still eyeing Germany as though she was something out of science fiction.

Next to the Superpower, England sighed. "Must you always be so rude, America?"

The younger blonde laughed, winking at her former care taker. "Hahaha! Aww, Iggy, I'm not being rude, I'm being practical. There's a difference."

"Not much," the island muttered.

Next to Britain, Japan sat silently, staring at his former Axis ally with wide, awestricken eyes. Germany blushed under the Asian island's obvious interest, hating that she could actually detect adoration in them. "I agree with America," Germany said, taking control of the situation before the other nations became too rowdy. Hearing the new female voice actually silenced everyone without the German having to shout, as she normally would have as a man. "Let's begin with any questions that you all may have." She took her seat next to her brother and Austria.

"I have one!" America stood up, smiling brightly. "So, was your transformation, like, gradual or was it more like _BOOM! _Presto, you're a girl now, or what?"

Before Ludwig could have answered, Russia's giggled floated through the room, silencing everyone. "Before we get into the particulars of it all," the Slav began with a smile, "I would like some more proof that this really _is _Germany."

Some of the other nations nodded as well, and Germany knew she should have expected this distrust. She had not been privy to release certain proof of her identity to humans, as it would have broken some rules among nations, but now that all the personifications were alone, it was safe to talk about such things. It was not going to be particularly pleasant if the other nations weren't willing to believe, but then, the blonde was used to them all bickering and fighting anyway.

"You're name is Ivan Braginsky," she said to Russia, knowing he couldn't dispute her knowledge of names. "America is Amelia F. Jones. _Bruder _is Gilbert Beilschmidt. Italy Veneziano and Romano are Feliciano and Lovino Vargas." She paused to look around the room. "If names are not enough, then would it be beneficial for you all to see some of my scars?"

"_Oui! Oui!_" France cried, smiling deliriously. "Take it all off! Let us inspect your body!"

She should have seen that coming, but it still made Ludwig blush profusely as more than just France in the male specimens gathered leaned forward, as though agreeing whole heartedly with the perverted Frenchman. "She's _not _stripping!" Gilbert stood up and screamed, face flushed with anger as he looked about ready to kill his friend.

Ignoring the mutters and murmurs around her, Ludwig stood, rolled up her sleeve to reveal one of the many scars she had on her arm. "The Battle of the Somme," she pointed to it before rolling up the other sleeve to show off a bit of her shoulder so the others could see the beginnings of a deep scar that trailed out of sight and to her back. "The Battle of Kursk," she stared at it with a frown. "And it just happened," she addressed America's question bluntly. "Like I said before, I just woke up like this. None of us know how or why it happened."

"I have my theories, though," Britain spoke up. "But I'm planning on looking into it more."

France sat across from him and scowled, crossing his arms. "I can't believe you knew for weeks and didn't tell me," he pouted moodily.

"Oh! Me! I have a question!" Sealand was jumping up and down in his chair.

"No, you can't become a nation, Peter!" England snapped at the micro-nation.

"It's not that," the boy frowned. "Well, not _just _that."

"How the hell did you even get in here?" Britain scowled, standing up to throw the boy out.

"I was just wondering," Sealand said quickly, before he was disposed of. "Since you're really pretty and everything now, Germany, does that mean you're going to be looking for a boyfriend? Because I'm available," the child winked, sending waves of nausea coursing through Ludwig, even as the other women giggled. Apparently children flirting was normal…

Germany scrunched up her nose in distaste, embarrassed at such a stupid question, before looking around for anyone else to ask something _real_. As England was dragging the micro-nation out, the boy apparently didn't give up hope so easily…as they all sort of already knew. "Is that a maybe?" he called just before Britain slammed the door in his face.

Sneaking a glance over at her brother, she expected the albino to be close to bursting out laughing, but instead, he just looked disgusted. Seeing that, was strangely amusing for Ludwig, as she realized her big brother was getting protective of her because a _boy _had flirted. It was sort of funny how angry he got now when everyone flirted. When she had been a man, Gilbert had encouraged anyone and everyone to flirt with his brother, but apparently the reverse could not be said. How hypocritical.

More realistic questions were asked, and the Germans answered them as best as they could, England helping out with more specifics of magic and the like when necessary. Norway, too, seemed particularly interested in events, and asked the most questions concerning the supernatural while more practical nations asked about the German economy and the like.

But even with all of these business questions floating about, a part of Ludwig's mind was still stuck on Sealand's question. A boyfriend. Who did the child think she was? Why on earth would she need a boyfriend? She wasn't gay!

Ludwig's eyes widened when a very strange, very confusing awareness came over her. Since she wasn't technically a man anymore, liking other men was not considered gay, it would be if she was still attracted to women... So where the hell did she stand now?

Looking across the room at the other nations while Gilbert was answering a question posed to his involvement, the blonde stared at the women present. He looked at America, a girl Germany had always considered pretty and even cute, waiting for the familiar spark of attraction to hit. But it didn't. She looked next to Ukraine, every man's dream when it came to breasts, Ludwig having stared at the older women covertly before during meetings in the past, but instead of feeling the lusty thoughts from before, Ludwig felt nothing. With each and every woman present, Germany became confused, even a little distressed, when she felt nothing for any of them anymore. She admitted several were pretty, attractive, but she felt no real appeal anymore.

Nervously, the blonde then looked around at the men present. Blue eyes landed on France. In the past, Germany had hated the man's guts, never understanding why women swooned when he walked past them, but now…now, disturbingly enough, she _could _understand. There _was_ an allure to the man, something attractive that could not necessarily be described. Spain too, she noticed, looked exotic and appealing, not necessarily in the manly way that Germany had once been, but still…

Lithuania was somehow cuter now instead of just a trembling weakling, Switzerland had a certain appeal with his rugged, outdoorsman quality, the Netherlands was certainly attractive with his stoic behavior, and Denmark's smirk actually sent butterflies in Ludwig's stomach. The Italians were unusually charming and endearing, looking sharp in their fine suits, and Greece, despite being lazy, had a certain likable persona as he could slow down and appreciate a woman's beauty. Hell, even _Russia _looked different now, with his towering height and muscles that she knew were hidden underneath that long coat of his. And Prussia…

Blushing, Ludwig's memory went to her brother, of all the times she'd seen him without a shirt on, like the other morning in Italy, or even when he ran around the house naked… Her face turned red, and it was with the utmost horror that she realized just how good looking Gilbert really was. Growing up with the self-centered Prussian, she had been subjected to listen to the albino brag about how awesome he was, how good looking he was and how the women swooned over him, but it was only now that Ludwig actually understood _why _that was, and she realized that he _was _just about as…well, _sexy_ as he claimed himself to be. Shit!

"Ludwig?"

The girl snapped out of her thoughts and turned to find herself staring into pools of red. She blinked several times, before she realized her brother had been talking to her. "I-I, uh, I think we should conclude this meeting," she said, making up an excuse, hoping his original question had been along these lines.

If requesting the end of the meeting was strange, Gilbert didn't comment, and together, the two Germans said their farewell to their guests. Standing so near her brother after realizing how attractive he really was, after finding out that she was actually attracted to men, Ludwig couldn't help her flushed face. She hoped no one would notice, just as she hoped that her stomach would stop feeling like someone had tried to rip it out and then stuff it back in after loading it with led. She was miserable.

Just when most of the nations had left, most of the women, led by Hungary, welcomed in the new European female, and the men gave her winks as they shook hands, which concluded the meeting. When Gilbert and Ludwig were the only ones left, the blonde sat down and leaned forward in her chair with a groan. Why couldn't anything in her life be simple now?

"You ready to go?" Gilbert asked after giving his sister a minute to calm her still rattled nerves.

"_Ja_," Ludwig sighed, as she stood up, almost tripping in her heels as she did so. "Shit," she muttered under her breath. She didn't get too far before she realized that Gilbert wasn't following her. "_Bruder_?"

The albino was staring at her, or more accurately, at her backside. The blonde colored, about ready to yell, especially after all the realizations she'd had today, but the elder personification beat her to it. "Uh, West? You, um…you sat in something."

Twisting her head around to look at herself, Ludwig did indeed notice a stain developing on the back of her skirt. Her face turned scarlet when she realized what had happened. "_Scheiβe_," she winced, horrified.

So that's why she hadn't been feeling well…

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>…Why am I so mean to poor Ludwig? Poor thing doesn't get a break. :/

About the names, I always like the idea of the human names being more personal, as in humans don't know them. Since they're not used in the series, I sort of made it taboo for humans to know them, and are only used among other nations. It might seem strange, but think of it as a cultural difference nations have with humans.

…And why is America a girl? I have no idea. I told myself not to do it, and just started typing, and in the end, America came out a girl. *sigh* I like America as a guy, I really do! It's just that for some reason, I find him adorable as a girl too, and…and…I don't know. Just go with the flow, please.

**History: **Battle of the Somme- WWI battle, nothing was gained. Fought between the Germans and French. It ended in a stalemate. 1 July-18 November 1916.

Battle of Kursk- WWII battle, the largest tank battle in history. Fought between the Germans and Soviets. It ended in Soviet victory. 5-23 July 1943

'**Nother Note: **Please drop me off a review on your way out, if you'd be so kind. I'd love to hear from you all! Thanks! *hugs*


	15. Chapter 14: Welcome to Womanhood

**Chapter Fourteen: Welcome to Womanhood**

Germany sat with her head on the table, her face buried in her arms, waiting for her brother to return in mortification. She wanted to hide her shame and embarrassment away, but she was still pretty certain even the blind could see her blush as it stained her entire neck and even traveled to her shoulders, bright red. The heat of it was almost too much for her to handle, but there was no way she was lifting her head up, not until she was certain her big brother was there. It was perhaps a little childish, but then again, if she was really…_menstruating_… then her hormones were not as stable as before and emotions were sure to be irrational and turbulent. Everyone knew that, but it didn't make the situation for the blonde any better at the moment.

God hated her. There was no other explanation for why this was all happening to her at this moment. This was her punishment for all the terrible things she'd done in the past, for all the blood spilt, for all the lies, for all the manipulation, for all the curses, for all the perverted things watched. But even though a part of her knew she deserved some kind of punishment for all the wrongs she'd done in the past, at the same time, Ludwig thought it was too much. It was all simply too much. God had promised that He would not give anyone more that they could bare, but not this time. Right now, Ludwig couldn't bare it.

_I can't_! she bemoaned pathetically. _I can't, don't you hear me? Why me! Why are you doing this to me? _

"West?"

The self-loathing German stiffened at the call of her name, but slowly raised her head. It was only when she lifted her head and looked around into the light that she realized there were tears in her eyes. Another wave of shame coursed through the girl as she looked at her brother's concerned, strangely soothing features. Ludwig had never wanted Gilbert to see her so weak and dishonorable, crying over something so stupid, but she just couldn't help it.

"O-oh, oh no," came a gentle voice from behind the albino.

Turning her attention there, Germany saw to her mortification as well as relief, Ukraine. The elder woman looked worried as she peered over at the younger nation with tears in her cyan eyes as well. For a brief moment, Ludwig wondered why her brother had not gotten Merkel or Hungary to come help, but then seeing the other woman so full of real concern, without any judgment, relaxed the distressing blonde slightly, making her wonder if that's the reason the albino had brought the heavy-chested woman and not one of the others.

Rushing past the Prussian, Ukraine came to sit down bedside the humiliated German, placing a hand on her back. Normally, Ludwig didn't like people touching her, especially if they were people she didn't really know in a personal fashion, but the warm hand rubbing little circles on her back was strangely comforting, and she allowed the other woman to do it. It wasn't so very intrusive, just a hand, and right now, the blonde found herself desperate for some amount of security.

"You poor thing," Ukraine cooed. "After such a day, and now this," she shook her head sadly.

Germany couldn't look at the Slavic nation, too ashamed for the pity being shown her. Gilbert came and sat on the other side of her. The younger German wondered at her brother's anxiety in this matter. He wasn't laughing, hadn't gotten to embarrassed himself and left, nor did he have a mean smile on his face. There was only concern.

For another moment, Ludwig stared down at the table while Ukraine rubbed her back and Gilbert sat silently beside her, when finally the Slav stood. "Why don't you come with me, my dear," she said gently. "Why don't we take care of this little mess right now, hm?"

Blushing, the blonde nodded miserably and stood up, feeling self-conscience as she did so. She didn't want her brother to see her again, and she certainly didn't want anyone _else _to either! But Ukraine seemed to sense this and offered a kind smile before turning to the albino. An unfamiliar look of authority came over the usually sweet features as she stared at the man. "Your coat," she commanded, holding out her hands.

Gilbert frowned, not sure what the older woman was talking about, before his eyes brightened. "Oh! Right. Here." He shrugged it off quickly.

Taking the suit jacket, Ukraine put it around Germany carefully. "Stand up," she ordered more gently than before, and Ludwig complied. The Slav inspected the length of the coat before smiling, nodding approvingly. Because of Gilbert's new height— the height that he had stolen from _her_— and bulk, the suit jacket set nearly to Ludwig's knees, providing excellent cover. At least one good thing came of all of that hassle of getting a new suit.

Ukraine took the younger girl by the hand and began leading her away. "Come now, my dear," she said softly, and together the two women left, only the sound of their heels clicking and the bounce of breast heard as they made their way down the hall.

In all honesty, Ludwig felt ridiculous for holding hands, like she was a toddler, yet there was something undeniably comforting in the act. It reminded the old confederation of a time when she had been very little, alone and afraid in the confusing world, not knowing who she was or what she had to do when Gilbert had found her and took her by the hand, led her to his own home, cared for her and nursed herself back to health. He had even sang to her that night, held her close…

She was shaken from her earliest memories when she realized that Ukraine had led her to the restroom. Another wave of misery flowed through the German woman, but she resigned herself to the fate which awaited her, which would be total and complete acceptance. A part of Ludwig believed that Ukraine would giggle at her misfortune, that she would somehow make this humiliation even worse than it was, but then again, this _was_ Ukraine, the most mothering personification in Europe. This was not Hungary, who would probably want to gossip about men or set her up on dates now. Again, the blonde was thankful that her brother had found Ukraine instead of someone else.

The two women entered into the restroom and found it empty. Letting go of her hand, Germany tried not to look at the other woman, but knew Ukraine was smiling. "Why don't you go ahead and, ah…clean up? I have something in my bag you can use."

If there was a way to will oneself dead, Ludwig would have done so by now. It was almost too much embarrassment. But knowing that this…issue had to be taken care of, she merely nodded miserably and went into the nearest stall. As quickly and efficiently as she could, Germany cleaned herself up.

"Here you go," Ukraine handed her something underneath the stall door. "I suppose I didn't bring a tampon with me, but I have this pad in case of emergencies."

Ludwig took it without a word and it only took her a second to figure out how it was used. Once it was all taken care of, she flushed the toilet and came out, eyes averted to the ground as she washed her hands. Who would have thought that the great Germany would fall so low? Where was the mighty tank commander? The platoon leader? Hell, the businessman? That Germany seemed to have disappeared completely, leaving only behind a shadow of that man in the shell of a woman.

It surprised Ludwig a moment when she heard another facet running. She looked over to find Ukraine running water over a paper towel. "I'm going to try and clean your skirt as best as I can," she explained kindly, before moving to do as she said. Germany was forced to hold still as the other woman worked, and briefly she wondered if there was a way to hang herself from the bathroom ceiling.

"You have a very good brother," Ukraine suddenly spoke up, startling the German. "I was on my way out when he came over to get me," the older woman went on when the other blonde offered no answer.

"_Ja_," Ludwig muttered back, not feeling like talking much.

But whether it was because of her mothering instincts, or the need for conversation, the Slavic woman went on. "_Da_, he is good…You know," she said carefully, catching the German's attention, "you have nothing to be embarrassed about. This has happened to everyone at some point."

Germany forced her eyes down to the tiled floor, wishing she could drown herself in the sink. "I suppose," she mumbled, face red.

The sympathetic look she caught in the mirror from the older woman made Ludwig feel even worse. "You're not the first woman I've helped with this issue before," Ukraine said factually. "I've helped plenty of personifications."

Although she was still humiliated, Ludwig could not deny her curiosity in the matter. "Really?"

"Of course!" Ukraine smiled brightly. "I've helped my own sister, Hungary, and even America."

"America?" Germany frowned in disbelief.

Seeing this, Ukraine giggled. "America was—how do you say?— a late bloomer?" Germany gawked, feeling extremely uncomfortable talking about the Superpower's personal development. "She was such a silly girl," the other woman went on, apparently unaware that it was inappropriate to tell Ludwig about America's personal life. "It was back when she and Ivan were still friends.

"She had come over and was having dinner with us one evening, and Natalia finished early and left," a sad smile came to the kindly round face. "America had not been feeling well that day, but she didn't complain too much about it. At dinner, she had finally excused herself for a moment, only to come back pale." Ukraine snickered. "She had looked so horrified and Ivan and I worried that something bad had happened. America came running over to Ivan and looked at him screaming, 'I've been stabbed!'"

Ludwig, despite of herself, slowly began to relax, even as she felt pity towards the North American nation, trying to fight off the smirk that was tugging at her lips. "What did Russia do?"

Ukraine chuckled again. "Well, you know _brat_, he stood up, demanding answers, asking her where she had been stabbed." The Slav began laughing freely now, as the story afforded her a lighthearted memory. "She said… she said she must have sat on something as she was bleeding 'down there'." Ludwig's eyes bulged a bit and she found she couldn't stop her lips from upturning slightly.

Still laughing, the Eastern European had to take a moment to compose herself before she went on. "You should have seen Vanya's face," she chuckled. "I've never seen him turn so red! And what was worse, America just kept staring up at him expectantly, waiting for him to help her!"

This time, Ludwig did laugh, or at least a little bit. The image of Russia in such an awkward position was something to be enjoyed. It always seemed that nothing could ever ruffle his feathers, not back when he was an empire, not after, but to know that a young, naïve America could do such a thing? Priceless. A part of Germany wished she could have been there to see it, even if it would have been extremely uncomfortable and awkward.

Once they both calmed a bit, Germany couldn't help but ask, "What happened next?"

"Oh, I took control over the situation," she smirked, shaking her head. "I've never seen Ivan look so relieved when I took America away. I cleaned her up and had to explain to her that she hadn't been stabbed and she wasn't dying. Poor thing," Ukraine shook her head sadly this time. "England apparently hadn't taught her about womanhood at all. Poor creature didn't know what was happening to her. So after I explained the basics to her, cleaned her up, we went back to dinner." Ukraine began giggling again. "When we retook our seats, America turned and glared at _brat_ and told him sternly, 'You better not touch me, because I don't want to get pregnant.'"

Again, both women were sent into a laughing fit at the Superpower's expense. For the first time in what seemed to be forever, Germany was laughing. She was laughing so hard she nearly doubled over, pain flaring up her side. A part of her felt bad for knowing such a personal, embarrassing story about America, yet the greater part of her didn't really care at the moment. She was finally starting to feel better, not really physically, but mentally. She needed a release, and laughing was just as good as beating the shit out of someone.

"Poor dear," Ukraine chortled when they settled again. "Apparently England hadn't given her the talk about sex either."

Still chuckling, Germany smiled over at the other woman, a wicked gleam in her eye. "So who gave her that speech? You or Russia?"

To Ludwig's complete shock, Ukraine blushed a bit as she admitted, "Vanya."

They stared at one another for only a moment before they burst out laughing again. "_Russia_?" Ludwig choked out, still laughing.

Ukraine nodded with tears in her eyes. "_D-da_. Y-you should have s-seen h-him, Germany!" She broke off to laugh more. "They were both _so _red!"

There came a knock at the door, surprising both women as they laughed, and they found it hard to keep their volume down. "_Oi_, what's going on in there?" came the distinct voice of Gilbert.

The two European women looked at one another again, before laughing. Ludwig could just imagine her brother's confused face, but decided not to ease his curiosity and stayed standing where she was, smirking at Ukraine. "We'll be out in a moment," she called.

Ludwig could almost hear Gilbert's angry mutters from the other side of the door, and it was hard to stifle their giggling when the only word they could distinguish from the rest of the grumbling was "unawesome." But when it seemed that the albino was gone, probably to sulk somewhere about being out of the loop, Ukraine threw away her paper towel and went to dry off her own hands, a smile on her face. "Poor _Amerika_," she tittered.

Still in good humor, German turned and looked at the older woman curiously. "So, what happened with Hungary and Belarus?" she asked. "Surely they weren't as bad as America."

It was probably wrong of her to keep asking these personal questions, but they made Ludwig feel better. Knowing that she wasn't the only one to have been caused embarrassment in this situation was comforting. At least no one but Gilbert and Ukraine had seen her. Oh the misery that could have been had if _France_ had seen the stain!

"Oh, Hungary only came to me after she'd finally admitted to herself that she was a girl," the older woman rolled her eyes, leaning against the counter.

"What?" Ludwig frowned. "What do you mean 'admit to herself she's a woman'?"

"You mean you don't know?" Ukraine looked surprise. "Hmm…I guess it was a long time ago, before you were born, but I'd always assumed your brother would have told you about it."

Good feelings were dampened a bit at the statement. Gilbert always told her everything, no matter what. It was sort of like a deal they'd established when the albino had saved her and nursed her back to health. That her brother would not tell her something like this, that apparently the whole world knew about, well, it was a little disheartening. Though there was always the chance that because _everyone _knew about it, Gilbert had assumed that she did too. Yes, that was probably it. It was a case of unintentional secret hiding…Though this could very well help explain some of his stranger insults he threw at the Hungarian woman about "growing a penis" or a variation of that.

"Well, when we were all much younger and the Ottoman Empire was still a great threat and Holy Roman Empire was around, Hungary was new to the world. She introduced herself as a boy wherever she went and many of us, including myself, thought she really was a boy! Can you imagine," Ukraine explained. "It was only until much later that she admitted to herself that she was a woman."

"How did she realize it?" Ludwig asked, finally understanding the crazy frying-pan yielding personification a bit better.

The Slav shrugged. "I don't know the particulars, but I believe Prussia had a great deal to do with it."

Germany's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Oh yes," Ukraine nodded seriously. "From almost the very beginning he'd found out, I'm told, and tried to make her see that she was really a woman. Though that didn't happen until much later, and I believe it was also due to his help in some way, though I've never been able to find out how."

The blonde frowned in thought. Her brother had helped Hungary? Ever since she could remember, Gilbert and Elizabeta had never had the best relationship. Even when the two had been angry with Austria for one reason or another, they had never come together much and gotten along well. For whatever reason, Hungary had always just seemed to hate Prussia and the reverse. Whenever Gilbert got talking about the brunette woman, a bitterness always seeped into his voice, and Elizabeta would always change the subject away from the Prussian or else talk about hurting him in some inhumane fashion. Ludwig had always believed it was because her brother and Austria had fought all the time and their old rivalry upset the aristocrat's former wife, but maybe it went back farther than what Ludwig had originally thought.

"Yes, well, when she did come to me, it was just for advice and the like, nothing special," the large-chested woman shrugged. "With my own sister, I was always there to help her and explain things to her when she was still quite young, so the change into womanhood was less…traumatic for her, I think." She chuckled, "Though she would complain often enough about me mothering her too much."

Ludwig nodded. "That must have been nice for her. I never had a mother figure in my life, just _Bruder_. I do not think that that would be the same."

Ukraine laughed at this. "No, I don't think it would be. Being raised by a man who was raised by all men? Not so motherly," she giggled.

The younger woman chuckled a bit too. "I suppose _Bruder _wasn't exactly motherly," she agreed. "But he was a good caretaker, I suppose," she smiled fondly at the thought of the loudmouthed albino that had gotten under her skin, despite how annoying he could be.

The two stared at each other for a moment, before Ukraine threw her arms around the new woman, holding her tightly. "You know you can always come to me if you have questions, don't you?" she asked, smothering the German in her massive breasts.

It had always been a dream of Germany to be in this position up until several weeks ago, but now, however, being suffocate by famous Ukrainian breasts was just uncomfortable. Another wave of sadness coursed through the younger nation at the loss of attraction. She flushed slightly not just at the show of the affection being shown to her, but from the fact that she remembered all of the men she had recently admitted were attractive in some way or other rather than the woman holding her.

Knowing that she had to deal with the now sobbing woman crushing her, Germany patted the Slav's back before pulling away. "Thank you," she said sincerely, truly unable to know how Ukraine could be so willing to help after the difficult history between them. "I appreciate all the help and kindness you've shown me."

"It's no trouble," she smiled, wiping away her tears. "I do not mind helping. Please do let me know if you have any other troubles."

"Thank you, Ukraine," Ludwig nodded. "I will."

"Please," the older woman held up, "call me Katyusha."

Germany smiled. "Katyusha," she held out her hand to shake. "Ludwig."

Together the two women walked out of the restroom, Ludwig hugging her brother's coat around her tightly, still not completely comfortable after what had happened. Again she marveled at how big it was around her. She was so small now, and Gilbert had grown. The days of being the taller, stronger sibling were over now, and once again, it seemed that Prussian claim to the land had been laid once more.

When they opened the door, Gilbert was waiting close by, looking oddly perturbed. "What the hell was going on in there?" he demanded. "What took you so long?"

Ludwig snorted at his impatience, knowing that he had probably been waiting to get home and drink beer. How selfish of him. Did he really ever stop to think that perhaps these things took time? Thoughtless man.

"Oh nothing," Katyusha smiled over at Germany conspiratorially. "Just a bit of gossip," she giggled.

Gilbert's eyes went automatically to Ukraine's breast that jiggled a bit as she laughed, while Ludwig nearly groaned as much from the embarrassment of her brother shamelessly staring at the other woman's chest as much as the fact that she really _had _been participating in gossip. How humiliating. Her reputation was really taking a beating nowadays it seemed. Drastic action was going to have to be made if Germany's good name was to be saved.

"We can go home now, _Bruder,_" Ludwig snapped, crossing her arms, not sure why she was so annoyed. After all, it wasn't the first time the albino had ever stared audaciously at the other woman's chest.

"Right!" Gilbert nodded quickly. "Thanks for your help, Ukraine."

The older woman adopted a strange expression as she looked between one German to the other before nodding slowly. "It was no trouble. Goodbye you two. Take care!" she waved at them, before walking off, not waiting for the others to accompany her out the door.

Being left alone, the two Germans looked at one another for a moment, the air noticeably different between them. After all, it wasn't everyday that the boy you raised into a stone-faced soldier grew to become a lovely girl who just had her first period. If there was something more awkward, more outlandishly weird, the blonde couldn't think of it at the moment.

"Well…um…you wanna go?" the Prussian rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of what to really be doing.

"_Ja_," Ludwig nodded quickly. "I just want to go home now."

"Right," he nodded quickly, before guiding her to the door.

The awkwardness followed.

**oOoOoOo**

There were a few things in life that Gilbert found irresistibly adorable, so adorable that even though deep down he knew they may not be the standard of manliness, but he loved them all the same. Small yellow chicks were inexplicably adorable. They were cute and fluffy and made the cutest noises and were fun to watch. They had long ago gained the seal of Prussian approval of awesomeness, even as other nations failed to see their allure. Another had to be tiny bunnies. He loved them, though chicks were his favorites, but he still liked little bunnies. They were cute and fluffy and he liked that they hopped. Another, that West actually didn't much care for, were garden gnomes. It was funny to think of little creatures wandering around with tiny little clothes and those goofy hats. How awesome would that be if such little people really existed and lived on their lawn?

But most recently, the albino had to put on his list of adorable things, was seeing West with his jacket on. There was something just absolutely irresistibly endearing seeing her with that oversized jacket. Ludwig was so small now, and seeing her with such baggy clothes on now reminded him of when the girl had been the adorable little kid that had once been on his list too. Sweet, adorable, little West had reverted back into sweet, adorable, little West…only with major sex appeal this time around.

But despite believing that his sister was about the sexiest piece of ass that ever walked the earth, Gilbert found that the only thing better than seeing West all cute and shy with big breasts was seeing West all cute and shy with big breasts with Ukraine, who was sweet and timid with even bigger breasts. When he had heard the two of them in the bathroom together, giggling and chattering, all he could think about were Japan's perverted animes with those busty girls taking baths together…

Was it a terrible thing to do? Probably. Was it completely his fault? No. Ludwig should never go out with Ukraine. Ever. The two would attract so much unwanted male attention it would probably make the albino's head spin. How many perverts out there would just drool over seeing two busty blondes out and about giggling with each other? He was just glad—and more than a little disappointed—when they didn't hug as they parted ways. He was fairly certain Japan would have died of a heart-attack and bleed out from his noise if he'd ever seen such a thing.

But once Ukraine had gone, those nice hips of hers swaying away, Gilbert was able to think more clearly with just Ludwig around, and that's when the awkwardness followed and wouldn't leave the Germans. West sat in the passenger seat, arms crossed, as she stared out the window. When he wasn't watching the road, the albino was taking peeks at the slim, shapely legs that were just out there in the open for him to oogle.

"Please stop by the pharmacy on the way home," Ludwig request broke the silence.

The Prussian nodded and soon turned off at one of the pharmacy stores. He looked over at his sister expectantly. When the blonde didn't make a move to get out, he put the car in park dramatically. "We're here? What do you need?"

"_You're _going in to get me…tampons or pads or…whatever," she growled, red staining her cheeks.

This time, Gilbert's face heated up. "_M-me_?" his voice cracked. "I'm not running in to get _that_!"

Germany turned to send a heart freezing glare at him, and despite being the larger sibling again, the Eastern German shrank back, knowing he would be bending to the girl's will. _Never _mess with a girl on her period. Fact. Every man came to know and fear this time of the month, and women were not to be taken lightly, especially one who could shoot a Mouser K-98 in her sleep and had once nearly castrated France when he'd gotten too clinging. It was lucky France was nearly as big a coward as the Italians and had seen the death in Germany's eyes and had run for his life.

Gulping, the albino found himself nodding, and slowly took off his seatbelt. Slowly, he exited the car, muttering to himself. "Better get midol. Geez, what a bitch."

Walking around the car, cheeks still stained in a terrible blush, Prussia was distinctly aware that people were bound to recognize him, especially after the little news event today, and so he opened the trunk of the car and looked around. He found a ball cap and put it on. Then, without another glance at his moody sister, opened the car door and grabbed his sunglasses. Disguised as best as he could, the big man went into the store.

As soon as he entered the store, he was distinctly aware of how the workers looked at him strangely, as though he were about to rob the place, but he supposed he did look sort of shady. Trying to ignore the strange looks, he went to the front counter, and tried not to be embarrassed as he asked, "Which isle is the…um…_feminine products_?" he whispered the last part.

Understanding flashed over the old store owner's face, and he gave a sympathetic look. "Down there," he pointed.

Looking down at his feet, Gilbert nodded. "Thanks."

Once away from preying eyes of the store owner and the clerks, the albino looked at the stock of "hygiene products" and was about to grab what he'd come here for, when he paused. There were so many different products! What one did West want? He began freaking out a bit. What if he got the wrong thing? West would be angry with him, and he didn't want her to be angry with him again! He wanted to help her but he couldn't do that if he got her all the wrong things!

Without ceremony, he filled his arms with all different kinds of products, as many different ones that he could carry, then went to look for the midol. She had been feeling sick this morning, he could tell, and he didn't want her to have to suffer anymore. Seeing her ill and in pain made it easier for him to focus on taking care of her, _like a brother_, and got his mind on other things brothers shouldn't be thinking about their sisters. It was much easier to be appropriate when it was just him taking care of her.

Walking back to the front, arms laden with embarrassing female products, he dumped it all on the counter, looking up at the owner, who raised an eyebrow at him. Blushing, Gilbert tried to ignore the old man and fished his wallet out of his pocket. The elderly man looked as though he was trying to hide a smirk, but gave a total, which the albino paid in record time. He even helped the owner put the items in their bags before he rushed out to the car. He threw the bags in the back seat, like he'd robbed the place, before buckling up and driving away.

West frowned, looked back at all the products, before turning a confused glance to her brother. "What all did you buy?"

"I…I didn't know what you wanted so I...sort of got several different…kinds," he admitted, not willing to look at her.

From the corner of his eye, Gilbert could tell Ludwig was surprised. "You got me a…_selection_?"

Hearing her say it, made the idea all the more ridiculous, but he was unwilling to admit it. "Hey, if you didn't like something, I didn't want you to blame _me_ for getting the wrong thing. I've had enough of your bitching!" The smirk on the blonde's face didn't help the flush fade away. "Shut up!" he snapped.

The blonde giggled, a sound yet to be heard by the albino, as she looked back out the window. "Thank you, _Bruderlein_," she cooed, apparently loving being able to share the humiliation she felt from this situation.

But hearing West _actually _giggle was just about the most adorable thing the albino had ever heard her do, and what was worse, was the voice she'd just used. And oh God, the pet name! He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear her call him that again or not.

All the Prussian could do now was hope that this strange attraction to the girl he'd raised would go away…and that she wouldn't look down at his lap…

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I hate my school's office/business services. They've once again screwed me over royally, so here's a sort of piss chapter. Hope all of your days went better than mine. :/

**German: **_Bruderlein_- (like) Brother dear.

**Ukrainian: **_Brat_- brother (pronounced like "br-ah-t", like the sausage, not the English brat).

'**Nother Note: **Please send me love? :( I need it. Thanks!


	16. Chapter 15: Something's Different

**Chapter Fifteen: Something's Different**

Gilbert decided a long time ago that living with women was a pain in the ass. He had stayed often enough with the previous female German personifications and even with Hungary on occasion, and knew that when a woman was pissed off, she made it her mission in life to make everyone _else_ around her as miserable as she was. Such extensive bouts of pissiness were intensified greatly if said woman was on her period, and when she was on her period, there was about an eighty percent chance that she would seriously injure or kill anyone that got on her bad side. (The other twenty percent was the likeliness that she would start crying and make you feel terrible for no reason.) His skull had been cracked enough times when he had accidently messed with Hungary when she was having her "girl time", which had eventually prompted him into keeping track of when the Hungarian was menstruating on his calendar. It's not like he did it because he wanted to necessarily, or because he had some sort of weird fetish or anything, but he saw it as a wise, strategic move on his part in order to keep himself safe and whole.

That being the case, he had decided that perhaps it would be prudent of him to keep track of West's as well, knowing that he wanted to tiptoe around this session every month. Hungary was a straight up bitch when she was on hers, and with Ludwig's infamous temper, there was no telling what she would be like! A part of him wanted to warn France to keep away, because he was pretty sure his younger sibling would _blitzkrieg _that pervert's ass, but the other half of him didn't want to tell his friend simply because his younger sibling would _blitzkrieg_ that pervert's ass. Hilarious!

But the next morning after the meeting, Gilbert woke up to find Ludwig lying on the couch, still in her pajamas, arms wrapped around her middle, as she stared at the T.V. It wasn't like his sibling to neglect getting ready for the day, even if she wasn't feeling well, but he knew better than to say anything as she wasn't feeling well because it was _that _time of the month. Instead, he went into the kitchen to find a pot of coffee and some toast. She had apparently not been motivated enough to make a big breakfast, but he didn't complain. At least she had made him _something_. He was actually surprised by it in a way. Hungary would have never done something like that.

So, instead of sitting at the table when he buttered his toast, he went and sat down at the other end of the couch and ate as he watched the show West was viewing. It was some sort of nature documentary about New Zealand and all of his strange wildlife. Ludwig didn't make a move as to acknowledge him, and the albino didn't press for any. Let the woman make the first move in this; he knew well from experience.

In silence, the siblings watched this fat, owl looking parrot thing, that apparently weighed nine pounds, fall out of a tree, unable to fly because it was so heavy, before it got up, and lumbered away to a different tree, climbing up. Because of his love of birds, Gilbert couldn't help but snicker as he watched it, thinking it was sort of cute because it was so fat. He wondered what Gilbird would be like if he was so fat. _No chance in _hell _that I'd let him sit on my head! _

Ludwig looked over at her brother when he laughed, causing the man to freeze for a split second. He had her attention now, and if he wanted to live, he had to go with the flow on this. Slowly, he resumed eating his toast, and tried to act like he was still engrossed in the show. It wasn't hard, seeing as they started talking about kiwi's next. Those birds were so awesome!

"They're cute, aren't they?" the blonde asked, as she turned her attention back to the screen as well, just a shadow of a smile on her lips.

Surprised by her apparent good humor, Gilbert nodded, trying to adapt to his sister's mood. He knew better than to take that smile for granted. Menstruating women could turn on you in a blink of an eye! "Yeah, they are."

The blonde's lips twisted thoughtfully as she continued to watch the narrator explain how the kiwis could not fly, and that their wings were so tiny, they could barely even be seen. "We should go to the zoo again," she mused. "It'd be fun to see all the different birds."

Startled, the albino turned wide red eyes to his sister. "Really?" he asked, forgetting the situation and losing himself to the excitement. He loved the zoo, especially the avian section, and she knew it. "You want to go today?" he asked before he could think better of it. Panic ceased him as he wondered if West would explode and scream at him about her schedule for the day or something.

Instead, Ludwig turned to look back at her brother, blue eyes sparkling, before she slowly nodding. "Sure. I'll get ready and we can go."

As she got up to get changed for the day, Gilbert was left sitting on the couch in nearly bouncing with excitement at the prospect of a trip today. He and West hadn't done anything fun like this in a while, especially not with her changing into a woman and all. Any excuse that he could go and watch the birds and not look like a loser doing it, was always a treat too, especially if he was with someone. But after just a split second, his mind caught up with him, and he was stunned into amazement.

West was a girl now. West was, so far, a grumpy girl. West was a grumpy girl on her period. West, the grumpy girl on her period, had just offered to take him to the zoo. West the grumpy girl on her period had just offered to take him to the zoo _nicely…_

What the hell was going on?!

In all of Prussia's many long years of existence, not once had a girl on her period ever been nice to him, especially if they were normally uptight and crabby. But in all honesty, West was usually not irritable when around him when she had been a man, not unless Gilbert really did something bad. Not many people knew this, but Ludwig was pretty mellow when she was at home, when she was able to work and do her own thing, and Gilbert wasn't making a mess or had people over. The two siblings had always gotten along well, and when it was just them in the house, it was usually pretty quiet and peaceful, with the blonde being just as serene as their surroundings. Those were nice times because it showed West's true character. It was when there were other people in the house that raised the younger German's blood pressure and she began to worry, and when Ludwig worried, it translated instantly into the need for stern behavior or anger instantly, because the blonde was so terrible at showing what she really felt most of the time and her only default settings were militaristic or furious.

But now, in the early morning, when Old West might have been this nice, this kind, New West had been…exactly the same. But-but, West was a _girl _on her _period_ now…Girl's weren't _supposed _to be nice when they were having "girl time." What the hell was going on?

A few moments later, Germany came down the stairs wearing new blue jeans, plain red top, and trainers. She was just putting her wallet in her back pocket, before she looked over at him. "Are you ready?" she asked, pulling a jacket down from the hook near the door.

Blinking a few times to try and get out of his shock, he nodded quickly. "_Ja_! _Ja, _let's go."

They walked out of the house together, only to find a camera man lurking nearby, believing that he was hidden. Gilbert scowled, about ready to go pull the bastard out of that bush and beat the crap out of him, when he felt West's hand on his shoulder. "Here," she said, handing him something.

The albino's anger was instantly dissipated when he realized what it was. "The keys? You're letting _me _drive?"

The blonde shrugged, before walking around the car to take a seat in the passenger side. The albino watched her go, still surprised at her willingness to allow him to drive, before he turned back to the man hiding in the bushes, snapping pictures. Unable to help himself, Gilbert stuck out his tongue and flipped off the guy, knowing that people believed it was a sort of bad luck for their own nation to flip them off or the like. Human's minds worked in such odd ways, but he hoped that human was superstitious and that he'd just ruined that man's day. As for Gilbert's day…well, he wondered what would become of him with his strange, New West he found himself with.

It ended up being a rather pleasant ride to the zoo, though it was largely silent, save for when West turned on the radio. Gilbert hadn't because he didn't want her to get mad at him for his selection. An _Unheilig _song came on, a band both liked, and they listened to _Wie wir waren_ until they found a parking space. There were quite a few people at the zoo, but the blonde didn't seem to mind, even after their large press conference the day before, which sort of surprised the albino, considering that he just remembered that the media would probably be swarming them soon when they found out that they'd ventured into public.

But Ludwig simply got out of the car and walked towards the ticket stand. One of the workers recognized the siblings and let them in for free, smiling at them, trying to be nice, though it was obvious she was nervous being around her personifications. The younger nation simply nodded her thanks, give the slightest smile, before walking on past, heading straight for the avian exhibit. Gilbert followed, still feeling a little weirded out by his sister's behavior.

Together, the two went and looked at all the exotic birds. They were all so interesting and beautiful with their bright colors and cheery calls, the albino soon forgot about Ludwig's strange behavior for being a woman on her period, and just enjoyed himself immensely. He would point to one bird that he knew about and explain to her all about it before moving on to the next one. There were not too many things Gilbert could blather on about at any great length that were outside the realms of guns, beer, his awesomeness, or fighting, but birds were one of them. The girl beside him listened the entire time without complaint, and would smile and nodded every so often, encouraging him to keep speaking. She even giggled a bit when he nearly flipped out when they saw kiwis. Those birds were just too awesome.

It was nearly lunch time by the time they had finally made it out of the building and made their way to the food court to get a bit to eat. Without thinking, Gilbert grabbed Ludwig's hand and smiled down at her, wanting to drag her away to get something to eat faster. It was only when she blushed that he realized what he'd done, but to his surprise, she didn't pull away, and the albino found he couldn't either. And so, in an awkward, yet not awkward silence, they went and grabbed food.

They each ended up just getting a sandwich and sat down at a table to eat. They were quiet as they ate, and even though it was cloudy out, Gilbert still couldn't quite get the smile off his face. "Where do you want to look next?" he asked her.

Ludwig wiped her mouth before looking thoughtful. "Why not look at the big animals? We can see all the bears and cats."

"Sure!" the albino nodded readily, tearing off a corner of his sandwich and holding it up for Gilbird to peck at. "And after that we should go look at the reptiles!"

Gilbert's heart nearly stopped in his chest when he noticed the warm smile being directed at him from Ludwig. From his _sister_. Again, a wild thrill of both excitement and horror filled him, clashing violently in his brain, forcing him to look away lest he do something he'd regret. "We can do that," the blonde answered, but still the elder German didn't look up. He couldn't.

"G-great," he smiled, not directly look at her. "And after the zoo tonight maybe we could—"

"I was hoping that perhaps we could stop by the pet store," she interrupted quickly. "Aster chewed her leash again and I need a new one."

"Oh, right," Gilbert nodded. "That sounds good. I think I need to get Gilbird some more seed anyway."

He wanted to say more, perhaps offer to take her out to dinner at a nice restaurant, but he mentally slapped himself. He couldn't do that. One: West would never believe him if he said he'd take her out and actually pay. Two: West, despite everything, was still his little _brother_, even if they weren't blood. Hell, Gilbert had raised the blonde since before he lost his memory of being Holy Roman Empire!... though, truthfully, the albino wasn't that much older than Ludwig, he'd just matured faster…

_Ah! Stop it, Gilly! You're getting into dangerous territory here, _he scolded himself sternly. The facts were that even though Gilbert was not technically related to Ludwig, and even though he wasn't technically that much older, and even though West was technically a woman now, she'd never go for him! She didn't know they weren't really related nor how old she really was. But even if she did, she would _never _go for a guy like him. He was too…well, he was completely and totally awesome! But for some reason, West was and always had been, the only person in the world that could make him feel unawesome. She— for reasons that completely eluded the Prussian— often disapproved of things he did, could find flaws within him that he'd never seen, and could even make him feel bad about things that he did all the time to other people but never felt bad for doing.

Plain and simple, they were different. Too different. West had always possessed an awesomeness equal to that of Prussia, and that's the only reason why he'd ever agreed to watch out for the blonde…Well, that and old Germania had basically blackmailed him into it, but he'd kept the promise not just for the old nation! He'd done it because…well…West was awesome. West was awesome and deserved to be looked after by the only other nation in the world that was awesome as well.

But they were still different apart from their mutual awesomeness. West was more serious than East had ever been. Germany was more inclined to agonize over perfection, even more so than the old, efficient Kingdom of Prussia. Ludwig didn't know how to let go and stop to have fun while Gilbert truly knew when it was time to work and when it was time to play. They were just so different, and it amazed the albino some times that they managed to live together, especially when he loved having friends over and Ludwig preferred to be completely alone.

Although, Ludwig had never once seemed to mind Gilbert's presence. Even when the Prussian was annoying the other German, distracting the younger until blue eyes started to twitch and the infamous Germany blush of fury spread over the blonde's face. Even though she had been annoyed, never once did West demand that Gilbert should leave. Never once in their existence, in fact, did Ludwig turn Gilbert completely out. Despite their differences, despite the Prussian's tendency to need to make entertainment for himself, Germany still allowed his presence. She still let the older nation mooch off of her, still allowed him to sleep in the house when he came home at four in the morning drunk making all sorts of noise, still allowed his existence…

She loved him, Gilbert realized. No matter how much West complained about how lazy Gilbert was, how troublesome he was, she still loved him, enough so that she willingly weakened herself to allow him his existence. Because that was the only reason he was still alive, wasn't it? Because West was _letting _him be? Maybe if she knew, maybe if she got used to the idea, maybe then Ludwig could love him as more than just a brother…?

Of course any hope that could be had from the thought was ruined when suddenly, the two nations found themselves surrounded by the paparazzi. The media seemed to materialize out of nowhere, snapping pictures and tripping over themselves to be heard and ask their stupid questions. The albino cursed loudly while Gilbird flew from his master's hair to hide in his hands, not liking the sudden attention. Ludwig sat stone still, looking a bit surprised before frowning.

Without saying a word, the blonde stood, grabbed Gilbert's arm, and pushed her way through the chattering humans. The albino tripped the first couple of steps, unable to get his footing under him, but managed eventually. But, even after he was walking normally, Ludwig didn't let go of his hand.

The now furious German woman marched to the front of the zoo, demanding to speak to the manager or whoever else was in charge. As his sister began chewing out the poor zoo staff, Gilbert turned his attention to the media. The instant they realized they had consideration, the paparazzi pounced on the old kingdom, almost literally.

"Mr. Prussia! Mr. Prussia, what are you doing out here with Ms. Germany like this?"

"_Herr Preuβen_, is it true that they're working on a cure for _Herr_, excuse me, _Frau Deutschland_?"

"Is it true that this was all part of a government experiment?"

"What's going to become of the Fatherland now? Can we really claim such a title for the land when _Herr Deutschland_ is now _Frau_?"

"What do you have to say on the claim that your sister is dating one of the Italian personifications?"

To the last question, Gilbert turned pink, hoping they blamed it on shocked annoyance rather than the true fury he felt. "What?" he snapped. "Who the hell started that rumor?"

The reporter who asked the damning question smiled prettily, rejoicing in getting his attention, before shrugging. "There are pictures popping up from Italy showing her out with the southern personification, and of her with both halves at the same time in a—"

"That's a damn lie," he snarled. "Don't you people have anything better to do than make up rumors about my sister? _Gott_, she was in Italy for meetings, as stated yesterday. There is _nothing _going on with West and anyone else. Now, leave her _alone_."

Having finally gotten through to some of the zoo staff, Ludwig turned around, only to have the cameras flash more violently in her face. "_Frau Deutschland_, is it true that you're dat—"

"No," she spat, glaring and everyone darkly, actually sending a wave of dread anyone within a ten mile radius could sense. "It is not true that this was a government experiment. It is not true that this was caused by foreign governments. It is not true that _aliens _are responsible. There is no real _cure _thus far. And for the last Goddammed time, it is _not_ true that I am dating anyone!" Her face was bright red, her fists were clenched, and all Gilbert could think about was how she was going to murder all these people if they didn't back off now. At last, the real bitchiness of the period was starting to show through. "I'm taking a day off with my brother. That is all. Now, _leave_," she commanded.

The zoo staff, not wanting to be next on the personification's hit-list, began showing the reporters and photographers out. Within minutes, the paparazzi was gone and the two nations were left alone with only regular humans gawking at them, some hastily trying to put their phones away as though they had _not _just been film the exchange or taking pictures. But even with things calming down, Gilbert knew that their great day at the zoo had just been ruined.

"You want to go now?" he asked quietly, realizing her hand was still in his.

For all her previous bluster, the blonde finally seemed to sag in defeat, her expression disappointed. "_Ja_, we'd better," she muttered.

They waited only long enough to see that the press had finally left before they walked briskly to the car. Germany held out her hand for the keys and Gilbert's didn't argue. Together, they slid into their respective seats, Ludwig having to readjust the seat, before they finally drove off.

West immediately turned off the radio, apparently no longer in the mood for music, enveloping the two Germans into silence. The blonde looked furious, but she was not mad enough to drive recklessly. The ride was tense and Gilbert mourned the loss of having the excuse to focus on driving. He wanted to say something, but experience with furious women and his own awkwardness prevented him.

So, it was a completely silent affair as the two drove. They stopped at the pet store where everyone gawked at them, but thankfully none of the photographers had followed them from the zoo. Instead, Ludwig looked through the dog leashes before grabbing a thick leather one. Next Gilbert went to look at the bird seed and quickly grabbed a bag of Gilbird's favorite. Luckily, the store owner knew them well, and while it was clear that the old man was just as surprised as anyone to see one of his personification transformed into a woman, he wisely kept his mouth shut. The only time he spoke was when he asked them if they needed a bag, to which Ludwig declined crisply, though not rudely as she had always liked this shop.

With their purchases made, the two siblings walked out and went home. Ludwig seemed to be a little calmer, as she always loved pet stores, and soon they were back at their house. When they opened the door, as if they had known, the dogs were waiting there for them, jumping up and happily licking their master in an attempt to cheer her. Gilbert side stepped the dogs and watched as eventually, his sister's scolding turned into sighed of exasperation before turning into light giggles as her pets pressed on in their mission to make their owner happy. Eventually, the blonde slid down the wall and allowed her pets to lick her face and rub against her as she scratched them and patted their heads. The elder German couldn't help but smile at the sweetness of the scene.

"There you two are!" a voice exclaimed behind them. "Where _have _you been?"

"Of course," Gilbert mumbled, turning around to frown as Austria walked towards them.

"Well?" the former aristocrat demanded when neither sibling said anything, only blinked.

"How the hell did you even get in here?" The albino scowled at the dogs, who, guiltily looked away from him. So much for all that training he'd put them through to chase out Austrians!

"Oh! You're home!" Hungary appeared, sweeping into the hall. When she noticed Germany still sitting on the flood with the dogs, she smiled. "How are you today, dear?"

"_Wunderbar_," Ludwig replied sardonically. "I bitched out some reporters today."

"And I flipped one off," Gilbert joined in, giving his sister a hand up. "But even though West and I had a _great_ day, it's been made _better_ by you two," he mocked. "Now, how the hell you two got in here?"

"Though the door, naturally," Roderich sniffed disdainfully. "Like _all _civilized creatures would."

Before Gilbert could bristle too much, Elizabeta got a hold of Ludwig, pulling the blonde almost off her feet. In a flash, Hungary dragged the German away, up the stairs. When the albino tried to call out, the Hungarian made up some sort of excuse about having a "girl chat" whatever that meant. He pitied his sibling when the girl threw him a horrified expression, but he knew he couldn't get her away from Elizabeta when she was like this. And even if he wanted to, Roderich still posed a threat, effectively cutting off all his rescues routes. He could only settle for giving Ludwig an apologetic smile.

**oOoOoOo**

Once they made it to Ludwig's room, Hungary almost threw the girl onto the bed before locking the door and turning on her. All sorts of horrible things popped into Germany's mind at that moment, it completely escaping her that as a man she might have found this behavior and smirk on Elizabeta's face sexy. Instead, the blonde sat in dread as the older woman came towards her.

"So, Ludwig," the brunette came and sat down next to her. "How are you doing with this change?"

Relieved that Hungary only seemed concerned, Ludwig cleared her throat awkwardly before scooting away a bit. "Fine. Just…fine, I suppose. I mean, I'm making the best of it."

"That's nice," the other woman smiled. "Has Gilbert been helpful at all or has he been…well, Gilbert?"

At the mention of her brother, Germany paused. Despite teasing her, the albino really had been her only support through all this, and he had been surprisingly comforting at times. Oh sure, he would laugh at her, joke around, but on a whole, he had been very understanding. In fact, he had also become quite protective, the likes of which Ludwig had not seen since she was a child. Her brother's new, adapted behavior made her feel safe, comfortable even…but strange. Very strange.

Ludwig couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something about Gilbert's behavior towards her that was different, even from when she'd been a child. This protectiveness was much more aggressive, much easier to ignite. It had been easy for him in the past to get worked up over other nations wanting to take land, but this was different. This had nothing to do with being a nation, or very little. This matter was personal, with little for the Prussian to gain for himself, and yet he still fought on. But why? Why fight off others like this? Gilbert had always wanted her to make friends, sometimes forced her to go out with his friends, yet now that she's changed, his attitude did a complete turnaround. It was confusing and it made Ludwig feel odd.

"Both," she said after a moment. "Though he's been more helpful than annoying."

Elizabeta nodded, as though she completely understood, but Ludwig didn't think she did. No one but _her _understood Prussia. That was why the two of them were so close. That's why he cared for her more than anyone else in the world. That's why he loved her…

Blue eyes widened as the thought flittered across her mind. Gilbert loved her. Of course Ludwig had always known this, but for some reason, thinking about it now, made her…uncomfortable. She'd never been comfortable with the idea of receiving or giving affection to anyone—_ever_—except when it came to Gilbert. After everything that he'd done for her in the past, it was hard not to come to love the albino. But something was different now. Something, her instincts told her, had shifted in their relationship now that she was a girl. He wasn't the same around her; she wasn't the same around him. She often got nervous and embarrassed around him for no reason; he seemed to be the same. Things were _different_.

"Well, I'm glad he hasn't been too troublesome," Hungary went on, disturbing the German's thoughts. "If you ever need any help, please let me know," she said sincerely.

"Thank you," Ludwig gave a slight smile.

"I mean _anything_," Elizabeta pressed. "And let me know when you're on your period, because it's a bitch and I'd be more than willing to give you advice on that if you need it."

In a matter of nanoseconds, Germany's whole face was beat red, and she had to look away from the older woman, too embarrassed to meet her eye. "_J-ja_, well…I'm sort of…on it right now…"

"Oh you poor thing!" the brunette threw her arms around the blonde, causing Ludwig's mortification to rise. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? How have you been managing?"

"W-well, I sort of had Ukraine help me…"

"Well, I'm sure she didn't give you the right advice," Hungary dismissed easily. "Let me fill you in on everything you'll need to know. Do you even have the right supplies?"

Wishing she could just melt through the floors, the blonde hid her face in her hand. "_B-Bruder _ran into the store last night to get me some…provisions."

"Prussia?" Elizabeta asked incredulously. "Well, you'd better show me what he got you. Lord knows he could have gotten you something terrible…or lied about how to use them."

"He didn't lie to me," Ludwig snapped, feeling strangely defensive of her older brother, the only one that was always there for her.

Hungary just smiled sympathetically at her, angering Germany more, but by then, the brunette was already to the bathroom, looking through all the cabinets. Ludwig was just glad that when she'd changed, she'd taken all of the more…_inappropriate_ reading materials out of there and hid them in the back of the closet. She made mental note to just giving them to Gilbert for the mean time. Besides, the porn didn't do much for her anymore. Yet another terrible side effect of being a woman, though at the moment, she was glad she'd taken everything out.

"Of course he didn't," Hungary appeased, looking through all of the recently added feminine products. "But you'll need more of a woman's touch to guide you through this, not a warrior's hand. Gilbert might have helped at first, but trust me," the elder woman turned and winked, "you'll want me around."

The blonde sighed and leaned in the door frame, allowing the nosey woman to snoop. She knew better than to get in Elizabeta's way when she seemed determined about something. And after all, the brunette was just trying to help, right?

Feeling ill again, Ludwig turned and left the woman to her prying and chattering to go lie down on the bed. She'd taken some of that Midol her brother had purchased the night before, much to her embarrassment, this morning, but the symptoms were coming back. _Bad_.

Having a period was much worse than the blonde had ever thought. This morning she had woken up in such pain Germany was sure that her newly acquired uterus had to be falling out. There had been another moment when the blonde wasn't sure she'd survive, and there was just blood everywhere. It was disgusting, but then, this was just another part of life…at least for a woman. She'd been so desperate to have something to distract her from the cramping that she'd agreed to go to the zoo. But then that hadn't turned out so well, and now she was stuck in the house yet again with a tittering Hungarian in terrible pain.

_I've suffered through so much in my life, the least God could do is not have to torture me by changing my sex_, she thought bitterly, turning over on her side in hopes that the cramping would lessen. No such luck.

Closing her eyes, Ludwig let her mind wander, and even though she was miserable, she smiled as thoughts about the better portion of their trip to the zoo, and of her loving big brother, who always seemed to be there for her, no matter what, came to mind.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Not much to say here…just sorry for the late update. The past several months have been really hard on me for various reasons, so thanks for being patient! Hope you enjoyed. :) Please leave a review for me on the way out as I'd greatly appreciate it. THANKS! :D


	17. Chapter 16: Raising the Stakes

**Chapter Sixteen: Raising the Stakes **

If there was anything Gilbert hated more than sitting at a table with Austria and Hungary…well, no, actually, he couldn't really think of anything worse at the moment. The three Germanic nations and the Hungarian sat together in a tense, awkward silence around the table trying to have a meal together. It was difficult considering Gilbert couldn't really swallow the food that's taste turned to ash whenever he looked up to see the pompous ass sitting across from him, sitting perfectly at ease even as he intruded in his and Ludwig's house. Stupid Hapsburg asshole! Thinking he had a right to everything!

But if that wasn't bad enough to watch the stuffy pianist sit around in perfect ease, Hungary made everything even worse. Prussia was always paranoid whenever the Hungarian was around, and for good reason too. He'd been hit in the head with her frying pan enough to know that she was completely crazy and could suddenly snap at any moment and go psycho-killer on his ass. But for whatever reason, tonight, she seemed intensely interested in making conversation with him. She was being nice…

She was plotting something.

And of course there was his poor Ludwig. She looked utterly miserable, like she was feeling sick, but also furious about having to host the other two nations impromptu like this. He knew how stressed she always got when other nations came over— except for Feliciano, of course, since the Italian seemed to pop in out of nowhere all the time. Gilbert never understood that about his sister, but then, Ludwig was a professional in all things, sometimes even to the point where she forgot to turn it off when she got home. It was always so hard for her to relax, and after the last few days that's all she deserved, but of course, was denied.

While dinner was mostly a silent affair, with only Hungary offering conversation every now and then, Gilbert couldn't wait until it was finished so he could just lock himself in his room so it _would_ _be_ completelysilent. A headache had managed to come over him, reminding him of the stress he'd gone through along with his sister over the last several days. Glancing over at the blonde again, he couldn't help but notice her tired expression. His poor, poor West.

When they were finished eating, the albino found himself furious as Austria sat back as if expecting a servant to come clear his plate away. Ludwig rolled her eyes but complied with his wishes, which only made Gilbert angrier. "_Bruder_?" she asked quietly. "Maybe you should take them out to the living room while I do the dishes quickly?"

The elder German almost groaned, _not _wanting to be stuck with entertaining the _royal _couple, but then it was a request from Ludwig. In the past, if his brother had asked, he might try and argue, but not now. Now, his sister was upset and exhausted and he would do anything to make her feel better. Even if that meant making conversation with _these _two. Maybe he could find a way to drive them from the house? He still had his bastard sword from the Crusades, perhaps he could…

But his sister was giving him _the look_, and he knew he had to behave. There would be no falling back on Teutonic instincts for him…even if he would dearly love to. How much fun would that be? To just grab a bastard sword and start pillaging and burning everything in his path? That had always been so much fun, so much freedom! But that's not how things were now, and he had to deal with it. Unfortunately.

Sighing, letting his frustration show the guest just how much he did not want their company, the albino stood and gestured for them to follow. Austria looked slightly offended, but Hungary smiled and was up in an instant, following the Prussian out. Gilbert might have been suspicious of the other woman's perkiness had he not been enraged by the smile Austria was giving his sister. Since when did the prick use _that _smile on anyone other than Hungary? Was he…

Was Austria coming on to Ludwig?!

"Oi, asshole!" Prussia snapped, not caring about how rude he was being. "West said into the living room. Now."

Of course the brunette scowled contemptuously at him, but the albino was only thankful that his temper was rewarded with the compliance of the other man. Though he did not get away with it completely by the angry scowl his sister was sending him. "_Bruder_," she hissed.

"It's alright, Ludwig," Roderich stuck his nose in the air as he walked out. "I've certainly become accustomed to his _barbaric _behavior over the years."

Gilbert snorted. "Don't forget where _you _came from dear _cousin_. Your blood's not much bluer than mine."

"Why don't we just go into the other room to chat, huh?" Hungary laughed nervously as she grabbed Gilbert by the arm.

The albino went stiff, not expecting the touch, but allowed himself to be dragged into the living room. West. He was doing this for West. If he could remember that, then perhaps he could manage to get out of this without killing anyone and burning their remains. In the corner, the dogs were staring at the personifications as they made their entrance. Was that pity in their eyes? _Don't pity me, you stupid mutts! It's _your _fault you let them in here the first place_! he thought, trying to communicate this to them with just his scowl. They, of course, didn't seem to understand him as well as Ludwig, and instead, laid their heads down, showing that they wouldn't cause any trouble. Gilbert wished they would.

Elizabeta pushed him down on the couch, and sat down next to him. _Right _next to him. Gilbert was starting to get a little creeped out, wondering what the woman wanted from him, when he noticed Roderich eyeing the piano in the corner. Of course.

"Oi," he called again. "That's West's, don't touch!"

The Austrian looked affronted, as though he couldn't believe what he'd just heard from _Prussia_. It made the albino feel a little bit better. "I'm sure Ludwig wouldn't mind if I played for a little while."

"Don't be so sure." Gilbert started to get up, but was held down firmly by Hungary. He tried to slap her hand away, but she got _that look _on her face, and he knew that for his own health, he had better not move. "You have to ask permission," he pressed. He hated how entitled Roderich felt wherever he went.

The brunette rolled his eyes, and for a moment, Gilbert didn't think the other man would do as told, but surprised him when he called out, "Ludwig? Might I play your piano?"

From the kitchen, over the sound of running water and the slight clanking of porcelain and glass, Ludwig called out an all too willing, "Of course!"

And so, with a scowl at his sister's good manners, Gilbert watched as the other man sat and began playing the piano. He hated Roderich's playing. Oh, it was probably technically the best in the world, and despite everything that Prussia was, he did love music and had a deep admiration for it, and the music was truly beautiful, but he just hated Austria too much to actually appreciate the performances the other personification made. He was so damned perfect, but sometimes Gilbert felt like the music was ever so slightly artificial. There seemed to be some degree of emotion lacking, not a lot…It was hard to put his finger on it, but the albino knew that he had heard better, even if not in technique.

"So, Prussia, how have you been during all this?"

Hungary's question broke through the albino's contemplation, startling him, forcing him to tear his eyes away from the pianist as he played. "Huh? Oh, fine, I guess," he grunted. He still didn't trust her.

"Really?" the brunette pressed. "Just fine? Your little brother turns into a woman and all you are is fine?"

Flustered, not really wanting to be in this situation at all, Gilbert scooted away from Elizabeta who seemed too close. "Well, yeah, I mean, it's not like it happened to me," he declared selfishly. Mentally, though, he winced at how cold he'd sounded. He just didn't want anyone to notice how _glad _he was that this had all happen—

_Glad?! _Shame suddenly filled the older personification the moment the thought he entered into his head. Glad. He was really glad that this had all happened? Glad that his younger sibling had been traumatized and was suffering? Glad that the little brother that he had raised and loved and had grown to outdo him had once more become more dependent upon him, weaker? Glad that hulking blonde had become petite, the muscles slimmed, the physique curvy and sensual?

A blush overcame the albino as his thoughts once more led him down a path where one _should not _think about their sister like that. Was sort of sick, perverted, twisted son of a bitch was he? What sort of person was _glad _that their little brother turned into a girl because of the tempting fantasy of _sleeping _with them?

Good God…he couldn't deny it anymore. After days of fighting against it, of even having dreams about it, Gilbert finally could no longer deny the fact that he wanted to sleep with Ludwig. Oh no, it went far beyond just sleeping with her, he wanted to bang her into the mattress. He wanted to fuck her senseless, dominate her until she forgot that she'd even been her own separate nation. Suddenly the idea of 'merging with the west' sounded incredibly provocative, and he desperately wished that he could make this literal.

What the hell was wrong with him?

Hungary, now, was staring at him strangely, eyeing him with a certain amount of incredibility as he tried to hide his burning face, his shame. Instead, she didn't comment upon his suddenly red features, and merely shrugged. "You know, she's having a hard time with this change."

"_Ja_, I know. You think I don't know that?" he snapped, hoping that his flush was interpreted as one of anger. _Please _let Hungary not realize his shame!

Normally, Gilbert would have expected a frying pan to come out of nowhere for his insolence, but instead, Elizabeta just stared at him with those intense green eyes of hers. "I think you could be a little more considerate of Ludwig's feels," she said gently, placing a hand on his arm. She was _really _starting to freak him out.

"What do you want?" he asked warily, making sure to actually lower his voice. He didn't need Roderich or Ludwig to overhear anything.

"I just want to be better friends with you and Ludwig again," she shrugged, not bothering to remove her hand. "We were friends once, you and I."

So many memories sprang to life, memories that the albino had long tried to forget and didn't want to remember. "That was a long time ago, Elizabeta," he muttered, not meeting her eyes as he stared at the wall.

The woman suddenly looked so sad, desperate even, and Gilbert might have laughed at her if this weren't such a sensitive topic for him as well. "I miss you, Gilbert," she said gently. "We used to be so close. Remember—"

"I try not to," he hissed, glaring at her. "What happened…you left," he growled. "It all comes down to the fact that you left. You wanted Austria, well, there he is. Isn't he a keeper?"

The sarcasm seemed to have actually been used well enough to hurt Hungary, as she stared miserably at the albino for a long moment, before she bowed her head. "I…I know that what I did was wrong…but I didn't mean to hurt you."

Gilbert snorted. "Yeah right. I've heard that before. Listen, I don't need you. After you left, I was way better off without you. I got West, and she's all I've ever needed."

"Don't you get lonely?" Hungary pressed, unrelenting, scooting closer. "Don't you get lonely for company other than a drinking companion?" Her arm was suddenly running up and down his arm, another on his knee.

The music in the background seemed to fade away as Gilbert's own heartbeat hammered in his ears. What the hell was going on?! Was Hungary seriously coming on to him? _Him?! _After she'd sworn some sort of vendetta against him for doing absolutely nothing to her? She wasn't supposed to like him anymore. After their confusing history together, she had sworn to despise him and he'd gotten over it. He'd been forced to see her as just another person after so long of fighting and arguments. She'd gotten her Austria and he'd gotten West. She'd been so happy, was she really regretting now?

It hurt. Seeing those eyes that he had once thought he could love staring at him like that…it just hurt. How many nights had he lain awake wondering what could have been between them? How many times had he been forced to endure seeing her with Austria and pretend as though he'd never cared? But all of a sudden, out of the blue, after he had begun to believe that perhaps they could exist together peacefully, she was confusing him again. It hurt, and it wasn't fair.

Just as his brain was catching back up with him, and he was about to tell her where she could stick it, the dogs ran past him, startling both nations on the couch. Gilbert turned to look back over his shoulder on instinct, watching to see where the animals had been off to in such a hurry, when he froze. He stared in wide-eyed horror at the image of his sister standing in the door way, her face a complete and total blank, her eyes churning, raging with some unidentified emotion. It was terrifying.

When he felt Hungary's hand remove itself from his knee, Gilbert came out of his shock, flushing. "W-West," he stammered, giving an uneasy laugh, feeling incredibly guilty for a reason not completely understood by him. "D-done with the dishes already?"

The blonde continued to stare at him, her eyes seemed to darken the longer she looked at him, and for just a split second, Gilbert thought he saw her scowl, a scowl so ugly it made him shiver. But before he could fully register it, it was gone. She nodded instead and walked over to the couch, sitting on the other side of her brother, before completely ignoring him to watch Roderich, who was oblivious to everything while he played. The dogs, crowded around their master's legs, either wanting attention or offering comfort, the albino couldn't really tell. He was glad, though, that they were there to distract her as she pet each in turn.

Hungary, recovering from getting caught in her flirtations, smiled over at Germany amiably, as though nothing was wrong. "That was fast," she smiled.

"I have a dishwasher, this isn't a third world country," Ludwig muttered darkly, refusing to look at either the Prussian or Hungarian.

Luckily Elizabeta didn't seem to have heard, and Gilbert fervently wished he hadn't. If Ludwig was being sarcastic to the guests that didn't bode well. At all. West was hardly ever rude when sober, and she'd only had two beers tonight, hardly enough to get drunk off of. This was _not _good. He began sweating, feeling completely awkward and exposed. He couldn't even look at her, and instead sat rigidly, watching Austria play again.

When Ludwig suddenly moved on his right, he flinched, but instead of pain, he saw as she walked over to the piano. She said something to Roderich, he nodded, and the blonde sat down on the bench. He watched helplessly as his sister turned her back on him, turning pages for the other man, leaving him alone to sit with the unwanted attentions of the Hungarian.

When Roderich was finished playing, Elizabeta clapped, as she always did. "That was lovely, Roderich," she complimented, but it was not full of the overenthusiastic warmth that Gilbert had gotten used to over the years hearing. Had their marriage and affairs really cooled off so much?

The Austrian eyed his ex-wife, no doubt taking in how closely she was sitting next to his old rival, before smiling briefly, nodding. "Thank you. Now, Ludwig, why don't you play us something?"

Red eyes flew to his sister, and Gilbert found himself out of his seat, walking over to the piano as well, unable to be away from his sister. He couldn't really apologize to her, he had nothing to be sorry for, but at the same time, he felt as though he should say _something_. But for the life of him, he didn't understand what he was really sorry for! He hadn't done anything, and he refused to make himself look like a fool in front of either Roderich or Elizabeta. He would no doubt flounder around, trying to make Ludwig understand what he was really trying to say when he didn't even know himself.

So instead, he satisfied himself with being away from Hungary and smiled down at his sister who sat so perfectly poised at the instrument. "Yeah, West, play us something. You haven't played in forever."

Once more Gilbert was faced with a dispassionate expression from his sister and he watched anxiously as she turned away from him sharply, standing up to walk over to the music cabinet. It only took her a moment to select what she was looking for before she sat down and arranged herself at the instrument. Roderich and Gilbert both went to sit down on the couch. The albino was distressed to see that the Austria chose to sit on the other far side, leaving him in the middle.

But he didn't have much time to think about that, because the moment Ludwig's fingers hit the keys, she was off. A cacophony of angry, confused, frantic sounds sprang out of the piano so fast, it took the small audience a moment to realize what was happening. West had chosen Shostakovich…that wasn't a good sign.

As he watched his sister play, Gilbert was suddenly struck with what had been lacking in Roderich's performance was made up in Ludwig's. The girl perhaps was just slightly under tempo at some parts, perhaps held out a note or two too long, but the passion! So much passion was escaping the girl, it radiated into the room, nearly overwhelming them all. She pounded away at the keys, angry, sharp movements, precise and heated. Austria showed restraint, Ludwig did not. She was murdering the keys and she was showing no remorse. Even in the softer parts she was forceful, hammering away at the bass, as though wishing to truly kill. It was almost frightening, but oh so very moving.

The angry confusion truly seemed to capture her attitude lately. After everything that had happened, West was finally, _finally _releasing her frustrations. She had been bottling so much of it up, now she was just letting go. It was a wonder the piano didn't break under the stress she forced upon it. Gilbert had never had a taste for this particular Russian artist, but at the moment, he couldn't help but thank Shostakovich for writing something so perfect for his sister's current distress.

She was truly beautiful, he noticed as he watched her move with the music. Her new, lithe body swaying, moving sharply, her long arms moving almost as frantically as her fingers. He wondered idly what her hair would look like in a few months. Her face was so rounded now, though her cheekbones were still high, he bet she would look cute with short hair, though he wouldn't be opposed if she wanted to grow it out long. How would it look as it danced frantically across her shoulders and back as she played the piano?

Almost as suddenly as it began, the music stopped, and almost fifteen minutes had passed since she began. Normally Gilbert couldn't sit that long comfortably through just one song, as in his opinion, if it was more than eight minutes, it was too long, but watching West…now that was something worth viewing. Austria made it look easy, elegant, but Germany…she made it look alive.

Before they could clap, however, Ludwig pulled out another piece, apparently unable to stop now that she had started. Rachmaninoff this time, a piece not as frantic, but so very moving, so very troubled and angry at times. Gilbert wasn't a music buff, he didn't know the name of the piece or when it was written, or anything too technical about the piano, but he didn't have to be, he guessed. He was still moved by the music, still captivated by the way his sister moved.

On a whim, he stood and walked around the piano to stand near the front. What he saw blew him away. Ludwig had been fascinating to watch from behind, but in the front, to see her face…she was breathtaking. Her face was screwed up into an expression of so much pain, so much unreleased passion it stunned the elder German. He'd seen Ludwig like this as a man while he played, but as a woman…it was a completely different phenomenon. That beautiful face with that strangely beautiful expression…He wondered if that was what she would look like if she was intimate…

"Bravo!"

Suddenly Roderich was next to him, snapping the albino out of his ridiculous thoughts. Once more, the music had stopped, and he found his sister surrounded by Austria and Hungary. He stood apart, watching, as though intruding on some family moment that he shouldn't a part of.

"Wonderful!" Elizabeta cried, hugging the younger girl. Gilbert almost missed the wounded expression that crossed Germany's face. Almost.

"Your fingering at one part might have been a bit off, but that was very well done indeed," Austria nodded. That was the highest praise coming from him. "You've certainly improved since I last heard you."

"Last you heard me I was distracted with Unification," Ludwig muttered, but stood up. "It is getting late though and I had not planned on a concert. Perhaps it is time that you two left?"

That was about as rude as Ludwig got without actually being rude. Gilbert might have been impressed if he didn't sense that something was bothering the blonde, truly bothering her. He hoped it was just due to her period, causing her to have mood swings, though he doubted that. Thus far the only strangeness of moods West had had was being unusually mellow this morning.

The two sibling walked their guests to the door, the dogs stood in the back, as though sensing their master's mood and making sure that the strangers actually left this time. Not for the first time, Gilbert was a little envious that the beasts only ever seemed to do West's will and not his too. But then, dogs liked to look for a pack leader and West certainly filled that description.

Hungary hugged Germany tightly once her coat was on. "It was great to see you again. Please do call if you need to talk to anyone for anything."

The blonde, instead of giving a small smile that she usually tried to muster for the woman that had helped raise her, Ludwig just stared at the brunette and nodded once, turning away a cold expression on her face. Elizabeta, however, didn't seem too upset as she turned her attentions to Gilbert next. Lowering her voice, she shook his hand, whispering, "And please call me if you change your mind."

As was usually his wont, Gilbert adopted a haughty expression, feigning disinterest to cover his nervousness at the invitation. "Bye," he dismissed her causally.

When he looked over, he was just in time to see Roderich shaking Ludwig's hand with both of his in a oddly kind gesture, a small but warm smile on his face, amethyst eyes dark with affection. The last time he had seen such a look directed at Ludwig from the other man had been when the blonde looked to be about six-years-old and everyone had just discovered that he remembered how to play the piano from his Holy Roman Empire days. Yet this look was different too…it made Gilbert uncomfortable.

"Please feel free to come over any time, Ludwig," Austria was saying. "We should have a piano duet sometime again, perhaps come up with a concert together. I could call André…perhaps we could even play some Strauss?"

Ludwig formed her normal small smile, which looked genuine. Gilbert wished she hadn't. "_Ja_, maybe," she nodded. "I have a lot of work to do, though but perhaps when things calm down here."

"_Sehr gut_!" Roderich beamed, looking truly excited. "I'll fish out some organ pieces for you as well. You were always the best at organ."

And so, with a strange end to the evening, the two Germans said farewell to their guests. After the door was closed, the house suddenly seemed unbearably quiet. Prussia still felt ashamed of himself, ashamed for his lusting after his little sister, of finally fully admitting it to himself that he could no longer look at her without thinking about wanting her, and ashamed that that same girl had witnessed Hungary's assertive flirtations. Normally Gilbert liked assertive women, but he'd been hoping that such actions would be occurring from a blonde, not a brunette. And he was even a little ashamed at how jealous he was being of her, jealous of Austria's kindness to her, jealous of Romano, of Veneziano, hell, of anything with a substantial amount of testosterone!

He wished he could apologize, but in order to do that, he'd have to admit to having less than platonic feelings for her, in which case she would freak out. Then he'd have to explain that they were not technically related, which would confuse her. Of course he'd have to explain his promise to Germania, which she'd obviously argue that she hadn't even been born yet. He would then have to admit that she'd been Holy Roman Empire, and by that time she'd have become so livid, she'd scream, blow up, and be righteously upset that he'd _lied _to her for over two hundred years…Not something he wanted to have happen. _Ever_. Yet he didn't know how to make this strange guilt, this even stranger lust go away! Well, he could think of _one _way, but it was the one he was trying to avoid at all costs.

When they moved into the living room once again, Gilbert scratched the back of his neck, wracking his brain to think of something to say as he watched his sister straighten up. Damn, she had such an awesome ass…"So, um—"

"I'm going to bed," Ludwig cut him off once she'd finished. "Goodnight."

And with that, she'd completely dismissed him, stomping up the stairs without a backward glance. Gilbert stood where she'd left him, watching her go, knowing that something important had just happened between them, that something had changed, but for the love of him, he didn't know what.

**oOoOoOo**

The moment the door was closed behind her, Ludwig flung herself onto the bed and buried her face in the pillow, unable to control herself anymore. Hungary. It was Hungary. It had _always _been Hungary.

A surge of jealousy washed over the blonde in a potent wave, and she was unable— and perhaps unwilling— to squash it. That damned woman! It had been her all along! It all made sense now. All the bickering, the threats, the excuses for fighting, the going out of their way to see one another when it would only end in more fighting, the _lingerie_… It was all for Hungary. It was all a game. Gilbert was sleeping with Elizabeta.

The realization sent another shock of bitter jealousy through the blonde, and she found herself with tears in her eyes. She didn't bother to stop them. No wonder the older woman had seemed so earned in helping out, had come with Austria to 'checkup' on her. She'd wanted to see _Gilbert_. Perhaps Gilbert had planned this, had already given her that lingerie, maybe when Ludwig had been doing dishes? Roderich wouldn't have noticed, he was also so absorbed in his playing. Hungary had been carrying a rather large hand bag. It wouldn't have been difficult to hide that sort of thing away…

"_Verdamnt_," she gritted her teeth, wishing that she didn't feel so bad.

Why did she feel like this in the first place? It didn't make any sense! Gilbert was her brother, so why then did she feel like her heart had been torn out and stomped on? Gilbert was so much older than her, he'd slept with a lot of women before and it hadn't bothered Ludwig. In fact, Ludwig had always been interested in the women her brother had taken to his bed because Ludwig had never taken many, always being too shy. But Hungary…this was so very different.

And that's when it hit her. Long ago, when Germany had still been very small, she and her brother had made a pact to tell each other everything, unless of course they couldn't divulge some sort of national secret for security reasons. And they had kept this promise. Ludwig would tell her brother about all of the plans she'd make for the future, about all of the stupid things she and Veneziano had done together, and even the more trivial things like what she'd eaten that day. She'd _thought _Gilbert had done the same, but he'd obviously kept some secrets. There was no way that Hungary would move in on Gilbert like that if they'd not have had some sort of relationship prior to the twenty-first century. Her touches had been familiar, her expression lusty…and Gilbert had just sat there, accepting them.

Her brother had kept a secret from her. It was plain and simple. After all these years, Gilbert hadn't bothered to tell her that he and Hungary had once had something together. After all they'd been through together! It's not like Ludwig would have stopped them, what right did she have? But oh how she loathed the thought that they had kept it from her! This jealousy…it came from the fact that Hungary had managed to manipulate her brother into keeping something from her. His own sister! This jealousy was spawned from the breach in sibling confidence, nothing more.

…but if that were truly so, why did she feel so sick at the thought of her brother with the other woman?

The buzzing of her phone startled the blonde from her tortured brooding. She reached over and grabbed it off of the nightstand and winced as the light nearly blinded her. Once she was accustomed to it, she read a simple message from Veneziano:

_Do u want 2 come over tomorrow for pasta?_

She didn't. She _really _didn't. She felt too terrible to leave the house any time soon. But at the same time, Ludwig wasn't sure she'd be able to stand being in the same house with her brother all day. She needed to get out. She needed to leave even if she didn't want to. Perhaps going to Italy was a good way to distract her. She only hesitated a moment before responding:

_I will be there around eleven_.

Snapping her phone shut, Ludwig closed her eyes, forcing herself to sleep. She didn't have pleasant dreams.

**oOoOoOo**

Up in Heaven, Germania watched the drama unfolding before him with great concern. He scowled at his granddaughter's hasty decision to involve the Italians into her life again. Didn't she realize that she had enough on her plate than to deal with them too? He was only an observer in this and could only hope that things would turn out as they should in the end, because he could see the path that lain before both his grandchildren, and it wouldn't be easy. And he didn't particularly like any of the paths that led to this end…

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I'm alive! Sorry for being dead so long…wedding planning and school life have certainly been kicking my ass lately. But here we are once more!

**Music: **If you want to know what songs I had in mind of Ludwig playing, the first was: Dmitri Shostakovich - Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 12, and: Sergei Rachmaninoff- 1st Piano Sonata Op. 28 Mov. 1. ***GO LISTEN! Austria's mention of an André, was of course in reference to André Rieu, perhaps the best and most famous violinist.

**Sortta History: **Prussia's mentions a "bastard sword". It's also known as a Long Sword. It's one of those HUGE, double handed that could be used break the legs of horses that charged at you.

'**Nother Note: **Okay, so PLEASE review everyone! I know it's been a long time, but I need the love in my crazy, crazy life right now. Thanks! ^^


	18. Chapter 17: Part One: In Over Their Head

**Chapter Seventeen: **

**Part One: In Over Their Head**

Something was wrong. Gilbert didn't know what, but he did know that something was very wrong. It was six a.m. and he was still awake. He hadn't been able to sleep much last night because there was the nagging suspicion that something was very wrong. West hadn't been West last night after Roderich and Elizabeta had left. She had seemed…he wasn't sure, but she wasn't herself.

Rolling over on his side, Gilbert groaned, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. Why was this so hard? Why had everything suddenly become so complicated? West had been so much more predictable when she'd been a man, but now…now everything was just so different. _He _was different too. And then there was the confusing Hungary component to think about too.

Upstairs, he could hear West walking about, going into the kitchen, probably feeding the dogs and making coffee. The domestic image put a smile on his face despite how confused and frustrated he was. Maybe West was still predictable even as a woman. She certainly hadn't changed from her schedules too much. Still up early, still taking care of her pets, still making breakfast for everyone. She was an angel, Gilbert was convinced…though he'd never have admitted that out loud. She still took care of him after all these years, even after he had taken advantage of her and teased her. He knew West didn't have a high tolerance for nonsense, but she still kept him around— Lord knows why! His life was technically at her mercy, and if she desired to be a lone nation, she could make him dissolve completely.

But she didn't. Ludwig went out of her way to make sure that he was alive and well, that he had everything he needed and wanted. In many ways, she spoiled him. She didn't ask for help often, just expected him to do certain tasks around the house, though she allowed him to pretty much do what he wanted. She tolerated when he had friends over and even went out with him and the guys when she _really _didn't want to on occasion. Ludwig wasn't just a great brother or sister, Ludwig was a great person, someone who loved and protected him just as much as he did her just as much as he had in the past. Something he never would have thought possible considering how much he'd adored the blonde as a child.

Perhaps that's why this whole ordeal with Hungary hurt so badly. Sure, the long buried emotions and heartache had been hard on him, and he'd been forced to relive that short time in his life with the brunette last night while he couldn't sleep. But somehow, somewhere in his self-centered mind, Gilbert realized that he hurt this badly not just because of himself. It all hurt so much more because West had seen it all. The moment he had turned around and saw her standing there, her face became completely cold and nearly lifeless, with those lovely eyes of hers churning with so much strange hurt…Well, it had hurt him too. Somehow, in some weird way, his own issues with Hungary were second in all this now. What was of the first priority for the albino now was to somehow patch up whatever had happened between him and his sister.

He heard the front door open and close, and that's when Gilbert decided to get up. West was taking the dogs on a walk, and he needed time to think about what he was going to say to her once she got back. Some coffee and toast might be able to help him think better.

As he threw off the covers and sat up, feeling suddenly completely drained after everything that had happened last night and not getting the proper amount of rest, the albino was tempted to fall back down into the bed and just lay there. His eyes felt unusually heavy and burned while his head began to pound at once, but he forced himself to stand. The moment he did, Gilbird woke, and seeing his master awake, flew into the albino's hair at once, peeping loudly.

"Quiet, you," he muttered to his pet, even as he stroke the fluffy feather's affectionately. "I'm getting you your food."

Lumbering up the stairs in nothing but his boxers, the older personification yawned as he padded his way into the kitchen. Like every morning, there was coffee waiting for him and toast. Strangely, however, there were no condiments left for him, no jelly or butter. But after being so harassed last night, it could be completely possible that she had forgotten. Or maybe she was concerned he wouldn't get up until much later? Always another possibility.

But he didn't let that get him down. Instead, he went to the cabinet reserved for the pets, and got out some birdseed for Gilbert. He poured a little into his pet's dish before plodding over to the counter to grab a cup of coffee and toast for himself. Once he had everything situated and ready, the Prussian began his breakfast, deep in thought. What to do about his sister…

Gilbird started peeping. Stroking his pet, Gilbert frowned as he stared off into space. He could always just ask her why she was so upset about what had happened, though that approach had never worked well in the past when it came to women. Ludwig, especially, always expected people to just understand what they'd done wrong and kept silent to make them suffer for their ignorance.

Gilbird started peeping louder, and Gilbert took his hand off his pet to stroke his chin. He could bring up what happened last night and tell her how strange he thought the whole ordeal was with Hungary. That was a possibility, elevating her fears without directly talking about the main problem. Whatever her problem had been last night, maybe if he expressed to her his own feelings of weirdness and his displeasure about Hungary and Austria, it would put her back at ease?

Gilbird began hopping all around. That could work. Let slip a little information to manipulate the situation into his favor. He'd always been good about that sort of thing. Hell, if he and Bismarck had started all those roamers about the French right before the Franco-Prussian War and played both sides, he could certainly make his sister happy again for something so small as this he was sure. Maybe he could even get her to open up and explain herself to him without having to go too far in-depth about why Hungary would suddenly come on to him like that. He didn't really want to tell about his past relationship with the crazy frying pan-wielding psycho. That would be just too awkward.

A sharp peck from Gilbird brought the Prussian out of his musing. "Ouch! You little bastard, that hurt!" He scowled at his pet, though the bird didn't seem to harbor any regrets. Now that he had his master's attention, the little yellow bird jumped across the table to where there was a smooth piece of paper sitting out, just waiting to be noticed.

Frowning, Gilbert picked it up and recognized his sister's hand. It read:

_Going to Italy today for lunch. Took the dogs. Please unload the dishes and wash any you use. I'm not sure when I'll be back. _

_Ludwig_

A spike of fear shot through the albino so fast, he thought his heart might have completely stopped. To the untrained eye, the note looked like any other that Germany would write. It was clipped and to the point, but Gilbert knew better. His sister liked to address the messages she left behind, but she hadn't with this one, indicating that she was either in a rush, or she didn't want to think about whom it was she was writing to. And though no one else would notice, Ludwig was _never _this clipped when it came to her brother. Usually the girl took her time when writing to her brother, having an affection for him that usually led to slightly lengthier messages, filled with fond exasperation and scolding. There was none of that now.

But other than the proof that this message confirmed for him that the blonde was indeed angry, was the fact that she was going to _Italy_. Memories from the last time they'd been there and of the two Italian personifications raged through his mind like a terrible inferno. How shameless both Romano and Veneziano had flirted with his sister, how they tried so desperately to get her attention. The thought of it made him sick, though it was worse this time because he wasn't there to help protect her.

"Shit," he breathed as he scrambled to his feet. He ran through the house, down the stairs, and into his bedroom faster than a blink. He pulled on the first pair of pants he found and a t-shirt before grabbing his boots. He pulled them on as he ascended the stairs, tripping and stumbling the entire way up. Just as he ripped open the door, he jumped back in total surprise when he saw France and Spain standing on the step, looking just as startled as he was, Francis's hand posed for knocking.

"_Mon Dieu_," the blonde gasped, his hand going to his heart. "You gave me quite a shock there, _mon ami_," he admitted.

Not bothering to wonder why they were even there in the first place, Gilbert pushed past his friends. He was already down the driveway, ready to make a mad dash to the airport, when he remembered that he hadn't grabbed car keys, nor had he really paid attention as to what mode of transportation his sister had used. She'd said lunch, but what time did that mean? Was she doing any errands before she went? Was she flying? Did she drive?

"The note!" he gasped, rushing passed his completely confused friends again and into the house. He didn't really notice when they followed him in.

Rushing back to the table, he grabbed note off the table, stared at it, looking for anything that he might have missed. It read the exact same as it had before, and there was no secret hidden message that he'd missed. It was the same. His heart sank. "_Scheiβe_," he snarled, throwing it down. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't just let her go to Italy without protection! Not when she was still so mad!

"What's wrong, _mi amigo_?" Antonio's concern brought the albino back out of his confused rush, and it finally sank in that his friends were at his house.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" he snapped, glaring at them heatedly.

His anger apparently confused him as they stared at him blankly for a moment. "We heard about what happened last night," Francis said after a moment. "We came to see how you were doing."

A cold panic shot through the albino once more as he stared at his friends in terror. The shame he'd been feeling for the past couple of weeks surged intensely and what little color he could retain vanished instantly. "Y-y-you know w-what happen-ed?" he stuttered.

He must have looked very bad, because Antonio was at his side in a minute and tried to helped the albino sit at the table, but Gilbert wouldn't budge. Francis stood opposite the Prussian as Antonio posted himself on the other side, rubbing his friend's back, trying to bring him out of shock. Gilbert wouldn't look at either of them, though. He couldn't. Were they here to blame him, tell him how horrible he was for feeling the things he did for his sister? _But she's _not _your sister_, that poisonous voice whispered in his mind. _She just thinks she is_.

"_Oui_," France began slowly, looking just as concerned as the Spaniard. "Elizabeta called me last night and told me that…well, what she wanted to do."

"It's all a lie!" Gilbert exclaimed, not quite realizing how much of a panic he was in. In his own mind, he was merely desperate to conceal the terrible truth about how he truly felt about West. But then, was it really so terrible to love her that way? He had cared for and raised West for as long as she could remember, and even farther back. After Germania died, little West had had no one, and since Prussia was so awesome, he'd taken in the kid. Ludwig was the only creature in the entire world— aside from perhaps Gilbird— that Gilbert loved more than anything and anyone else. This being the case, he tended to revere and adore, even exalt that which he placed above himself, even if he didn't admit to anyone that he thought better of them than himself. Gilbert was self-centered by nature, but when he found something to care about he cared about it hard and forever. That was sort of what people did when the fellin love too, not just when…

Red eyes snapped open and his whole body went ridged. Love. Was he…_in love _with West? No, no, that couldn't be right. Gilbert was merely lusting after Ludwig because she had totally awesome boobs and ass and…and…her eyes were truly amazing and they always seemed to sparkle so appealingly in the light when she looked at him. And she always made him laugh, even when she wasn't really trying. West was the only one that truly listened to him all the time, and comforted him when he felt less than awesome. She was the only one to know all of his darkest secrets save her true origins and his fling with Hungary. She knew everything that actually mattered to Gilbert, knew him better than anyone else, and he'd always loved the little boy and the strong man that Ludwig had become.

So was it any wonder that he fell so hard for Ludwig as a female? Gilbert had trained and raised the perfect man—in his opinion— the perfect companion for himself. Someone who Prussia could always depend on no matter what and help him out if he ever got in to something over his head. Ludwig was still that person as a woman, still the same blunt, no nonsense, take-charge personification that she'd always been. Gilbert had adored Ludwig in the past and that hadn't changed. The only thing that had changed was the physical casing that held that lovely personality, a new voice timbre. Her hips swayed and her voice was light and beautiful. He tried so hard to think of her as the same boy she had been, but it was the physical that was undoing him. It was the physical that now told him that this almost unhealthy love he'd always held for West was now something much more.

Gilbert started to shake and his legs give out and tried to sit down. They buckled and he fell. Hard. On the floor since there had not been a chair anyway near him. Instantly Francis and Antonio were beside him, trying to help their friend who seemed completely stunned.

"I'm _in _love," Gilbert whispered, shocked.

At last, finally able to get the Prussian on his feet, the Frenchman and the Spaniard managed to guide him over to the couch and sit him down. Once he was seated, he looked up at his friends, still in astonishment.  
>"I'm in love."<p>

The other two personifications exchanged worried glances. "Oh, poor Gil," Antonio sighed. "But this is good, no? If you love her and she loves you—"

"_Oui_," Francis nodded. "I know she broke your heart last time, but honestly, if you both want each other again, I'm sure you could be very happy with Elizabeta."

The albino scowled at his friends in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?" he snapped

The blank expressions that greeted his declaration only served to infuriate the German. "Poor man," Francis sighed, shaking his head sadly. "This must have happened so fast for him. Don't worry _mon ami_, we will help you out anyway we can so you can finally be happy with your princess."

By now Gilbert was thoroughly confused as to what everyone was talking about. Something about Hungary and winning princesses? He didn't do that sort of thing…ever. Not even when he'd been a knight. That just wasn't his bag. He was more of the chaste knight of God type…that was also pretty good at pillaging and burning down settlements. Princesses had never held too much appeal for him back then…probably because he'd been a kid. But in any case, what did saving princesses or whatever have to do with Hungary? And why the hell was he sitting here thinking about it when he should be going to Italy to save West?!

"Listen, I gotta get out of here," he stood up and pushed past his friends as he ran back down into his room and to the safe to pull out his passport. When he reemerged on the main floor, he grabbed a set of keys and rushed to the garage. His friends were right on his tail.

West had apparently taken the Audi, which was always disappointing, since that left him with the GranCoupé. The BMW was just as good as the Audi…but Gilbert really did like the Audi more. It was such a shame, though, that the both headquarters were in Bavaria now too…

"_Ach_," he scoffed himself. He shouldn't be thinking about cars! He should be driving like a madman to the airport after his sister! After all, if West was going to Italy for lunch that meant that she'd be flying. She probably wouldn't get there in time if she drove, not through all that traffic! So instead of admiring and debating about cars and thinking back to his old dislike of Bavaria, Gilbert jumped in the vehicle and began backing up out of the garage. He hardly registered the fact that his friends barely had time to jump in before he was peeling out of the driveway and was rushing down the road.

Francis ended up in the front seat while Antonio was in the back. The other two nations were just buckling in before they each gave a sigh of relief. Gilbert didn't bother to say anything. His mind was too busy worry about his sister who was willfully throwing herself into the clutches of those two crazy Italians. How could she be so stupid?! Didn't she remember what happened last time?

"Umm…Gil?" Antonio finally spoke up. "Where are we going?"

The albino didn't hear him. "Stupid girl," he ground out, unconsciously stepping on the gas. "_Dummkopf_!"

"Gil?" Francis asked, worry creeping into his voice.

"What?" he snapped, not bothering to take his eyes off the road.

The Frenchman sat a moment, staring at his friend as he would a particularly wild animal. "A-are you well, _mon ami_? What's going on? Where are we going?"

"We're going to Italy," he growled as though it should be obvious.

The other two nations wisely said nothing. They had no idea what this was all about, but they certainly weren't going to piss the albino off anymore if they could help it. They had no idea why their friend was acting the way he was, and Gilbert certainly wasn't going to open up to them. Not about this, anyway. They knew a lot about him. They knew about how he'd found Ludwig after the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, but only _years _after the fact, as Prussia had been understandably wary of France who had once been out to kill the child. They knew about his past with Hungary and how much it had hurt him when it'd blown up in his face. They knew a lot about him, but not everything. West knew more, but these two were his closest friends…but he wasn't ready to open up to them about the past several weeks. That was going a little too far. He still wasn't sure how he actually felt, especially if he really did _lov_—

_Stop! _he scolded himself fiercely. _Not now. Now's not the time to think such things. You're _not _in love…you're not… _It was a lie, but hopefully he could ignore it until this mess in Italy was dealt with.

They made it to the airport in record time, and the moment the car was parked and taken care of, the albino hopped out and was rushing towards the building, France and Spain hot on his heels. He wasn't really thinking at the moment, just reacting, hoping that those accursed thoughts of West and…and _love_ would not overcome him until he could think. Until he was alone.

_Hold on, West_, he thought frantically. _Gil's comin'! _

**oOoOoOo**

Ludwig had always liked Italy. It was sunny and bright and warm and oh so relaxed. Of course the latter sometimes annoyed her to no end, but at the moment, she was relieved. She needed to relax, needed to just get away and think. She couldn't stand the thought of being near her brother at the moment. She hadn't slept at all the previous night, not really. She'd monitored herself and found that she could only sleep about ten minutes at a time before she had horrible dreams about…_the incident_. If she were honest with herself, she didn't even know why it bothered her so much in the first place, but it did.

Sighing, the blonde ran a hand through her hair tiredly. Almost immediately, Blackie, Berlitz, and Aster were by her side, Berlitz trying his best to lick her face. The blonde smiled at them, and patted each of their heads in turn. Normally she wouldn't bring her pets with her like this, but at the moment, she needed their comfort. She liked animals, always had, and she'd found over the years that when she just couldn't stand people, there was comfort in pets. Her dogs were just so loving and trusting and loyal. These traits endeared themselves to the German and she wished that more people shared these qualities as well.

The private jet landed at ten-thirty and Ludwig quickly calculated about how long it would take to get to the Italians' house. It should only take about twenty minutes from the airport, and since it was an off time, the traffic shouldn't be too terrible. But she had an extra ten minutes to spare for any inconvenient traffic or if the taxi she should have waiting was running late…a real possibility.

The hostess of the craft came over to offer any last services to her nation, but Ludwig waved her off. Instead, the blonde stood and fashioned on the leashes to her pets who seemed ready to get off the plane. Poor things didn't particularly like flying, but they'd been so good. She'd have to reward them later. The thought of turning back on her phone occurred to the German, just in case of an emergency, but she decided against it. She couldn't stand the thought of her brother calling or texting her. She had a feeling he wasn't pleased that she'd gone without much word, but then one thought of _the incident_ and she found she didn't really care what he thought.

With as much authority as she could muster, she exited the craft, thankful there were not cameras waiting for her. The paparazzi apparently hadn't heard of her visit—thank God!—and she was able to walk off the plane, through the airport, and towards the door with her head held high. No one stopped her due to her dogs and because apparently most of the airport staff recognized her and knew to let her past…or perhaps the dogs more so. Her new appearance was still something people were getting used to.

Once she was out the door, she looked over and saw a taxi that had pulled out a German flag. It was common for the taxi services that countries would call upon would wait for said countries by putting out their flags as a sign. Ludwig was relieved that she didn't have to turn on her phone and call to see where the taxi was. The driver looked nervous as she approached and eyed the three dogs warily.

"Ms. Germany?" he asked when she stopped.

"_Ja_," Ludwig nodded.

"No bags?" he asked a bit surprised. Not many foreigners came without bags and only dogs.

"None," she confirmed as she opened the door before he could, allowing the dogs to hop in.

The ride to Italy's house was a pretty silent affair. The drive kept looking back at Germany from his rearview mirror, smiling at her nervously, before looking back at the road. The dogs knew their place and sat by their master on either the floor or the seat in silence. They knew to keep quiet and behave while out with their master until she gave a command. Really, she was still so glad that the dogs recognized her even if she looked different. She wasn't sure what she would have done if they didn't.

Traffic wasn't too horrible, and they made it to the house at ten fifty-five. She was five minutes early, but that wasn't too bad. Sometimes she got to places extremely early and had to figure out things to do before an appointment. Veneziano knew this habit she had, so she knew he wouldn't be too upset if she was a tad early.

When she paid the driver, he smiled at her charmingly enough before he winced when Blackie started to growl a bit. Ludwig scowled at her pet, who instantly recognized his master's displeasure. When the dog stopped, the blonde nodded in satisfaction. "Sorry about that. He wouldn't have done anything," she reassured the driver.

The Italian gave a wobbly smile before stammering out something along the lines of, "It's fine," before he rolled up his window and drove away. The dogs were perhaps a little too protective of her, Germany decided, but she couldn't bring herself to believe that was a problem. Her pets just cared about her, and it was a comfort.

So, smiling lightly at them, she led them up to the Italians home and rapped on the door. She waited a minute or so before knocking again. Perhaps Veneziano hadn't heard her? After another moment, she was about to knock again, when the door was yanked open. A beaming Veneziano was at the door. "Germany!" he cried in delight. "Hello, how are you?"

"Good," the blonde nodded, fighting off a smile. She was relieved by the normality of this greeting. "I brought the dogs. Hope you don't mind."

Veneziano was usually pretty afraid of the infamous German dogs, but he was always very tolerant, especially if Germany was there to keep an eye on them. "Of course," he nodded a little too quickly. "But maybe keep them out back? In the yard?"

"Of course," Ludwig nodded as she walked in the house.

"I'm so happy you decided to come!" the Italian declared. "I was worried that maybe you wouldn't want to with everything going on, but you did come! You did and now we'll finally have a chance to catch up. It's been a while."

As her friend continued to chatter on and on, Ludwig found herself appreciating his liveliness. It was loud and distracting. That was good. At this rate her mind wouldn't wander back to _the incident _for quite a while. And of course it was sort of good just to hear him talk again. While it was true that Veneziano annoyed the crap out of Germany, and even pissed her off with his laziness and indifferent work ethic, he was still a good friend. True, he'd been useless in war and had basically switched sides in both World Wars, but Germany had been pretty terrible in the Second so she felt she had deserved to be abandoned. And there was the fact that not many people actually _liked _her. Most of the other nations were afraid of her, or simply found her too arrogant and disdainful to want her around for causal company. They usually only wanted her around for business. But not Veneziano. No, he was one of the few besides her brother that actually—for some reason!—liked her. It was humbling, it made her protective of him.

Veneziano led her to the back of the house to the sliding doors that led to the backyard. He opened the door for her and she unhooked the leashes. All three dogs shot away and ran into the yard, barking happily. There was an old bucket sitting next to the house for when Germany did bring her pets. She filled it with water, listening to her friend chatter on and on about nothing in particular.

Once she was sure that her pets were watered, she turned and walked back into the house, trying not to notice how strangely good Veneziano looked as he'd casually leaned against the door frame in his slacks and button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up quarter length. Ludwig had already admitted to herself that she found men attractive now at the press conference several days ago, but she didn't want to think of Feliciano that way. Not her friend. She didn't want anything else to change. Not in that regard.

Together, the two went to the kitchen. Germany sat down at the table while Veneziano continued to prepare their meal. The blonde found it a bit odd that her friend was actually pretty well on time with his preparations. Usually when she'd come here, he was just beginning and Ludwig would have to wait about another hour before it was ready. But not now. Now everything was about done, and they would be able to eat and enjoy themselves a good long while.

"So," Feliciano went on happily. "When were you thinking of going back home? What's your plane ticket say?"

"Oh," Ludwig pulled herself out of her study. "Well, I actually took the private jet. I can leave whenever I want."

"_Ve_, that's wonderful!" the Italian bubbled. "That means we have all afternoon together without worry!"

_And without Gilbert_… "Yes," she gasped out quickly, trying hard not to let her mind turn to bitter thoughts. "I…I was thinking that maybe I could even stay for dinner? If you don't mind," she added quickly, blushing slightly at her own impudence. Usually she asked well in advance, but she'd just thought of this plan, and she was finding out that even the thought of going home right now was still grossly unappealing.

"_Sí, sí_!" he exclaimed in delight. "I would like that very much! We would have all day together then!"

_Just like old times, _she thought, a small smile coming to her face. She was about to say something when she heard the front door open and slam shut. "_Che palle_!" She froze. "Veneziano, there wasn't a meeting today after all! Did you make…" the older Italian trailed off when he entered the kitchen and saw the German sitting at the table.

_Just my luck, _the blonde thought tiredly. "_Guten Tag_, Romano. How are you?" she stood politely, bracing herself for the inevitable insult.

Instead, the German was shocked to the core when the southern personification seemed to swallow hard before nodding slowly. "Fine," he choked out. "And you?"

Ludwig blinked, not noticing the despair that suddenly appeared on Feliciano's face. "Good," she said warily. "Thank you."

Romano nodded slowly before he turned to look between his brother and his guest. "Can I join you for lunch?" he addressed Germany, though she didn't know why.

"I...um, I suppose," she nodded.

Suddenly a bright smile washed over Romano's features, one that seemed to completely transform him from the man she'd always know and expected. It was unnerving. "_Grazi_," his voice became smooth and pleasant as he sat down on one side of Ludwig.

Veneziano suddenly appeared on her other side, a slight frown on his lips. "_Fratello_, I thought you weren't going to be home today." Was that disappointment in his tone?

The elder Italian snorted and waved off his brother easily. "I told you, there wasn't a meeting today after all. That _stupido _new secretary wrote down the wrong day or something. _Chigi_!" he rolled his eyes.

Germany wasn't sure she should say something, but any thought of doing anything fled her mind the instant dark caramel eyes were upon her, and Romano once again smiled at her, a smoldering, strangely cool sort of look coming over him. Ludwig swallowed.

"But it's not all bad," the elder brother went on, smile growing. "If those idiots got the date right, I might have planned something else for today, and then I would've missed seeing our lovely guest."

Veneziano came and sat down on the other side of the flustered German, and put an arm around her shoulder. "Well, she is _my _guest, and we do have plans for the day after lunch."

Romano didn't seem put off by his brother's actions in the least, and Ludwig wasn't sure if she wanted to shrug off Feliciano's arm or stay perfectly still while the two Italians seemed to be battling each other for something Ludwig didn't really understand. Perhaps she'd been too hasty in agreeing to come to Italy. Perhaps she shouldn't have left the dogs outside…

"Well, the more the merrier," Romano smirked, leaning forward towards Ludwig after she finally shrugged off Veneziano. "Wouldn't you say, _bella dona_?"

Ludwig decided then that she should've stayed in bed today.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Ludwig, what have you done? P.S. For some reason I like the thought of Gilbert being a bit scatter brained when he's panicked. I thought it was sort of fun…and cute. :P This is now a two parter because my imagination got the better of me. .

**Italian reminders: **_Bella dona- _pretty lady. _Che palle- _(basically) Balls.

You ought to know the rest of the language snippets…

**Cars: **Two cars that I wouldn't mind having~ Audi RS7 and BMW M6 GranCoupé. Both now have headquarters in Bavaria, but the Audi originated in Saxony. I think both are very classy looking vehicles myself. :)

**Author's Note: **Reviews for a starving writer? :3 Thanks!


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